Beginnings
by LindaLeeB
Summary: Steve and Danny start their new life together with Grace after their civil union ceremony on New Year's Day. Sequel to 'Home for the Holidays'. Slash warning! Fifth in the series.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Danny woke slowly on New Year's Day. Normally, he would be a little hung over and pretty depressed over the sad turn his life had taken. Instead, he was feeling terrific. He was spooned behind Steve, his arm slung over Steve's side. Their hands were clasped; Danny could see their matching rings. He thought back to last night: the look on Steve's face as Danny pledged his love; the catch in Steve's voice as he pledged his love to Danny; the happy look on Grace's face as she took her place with Steve and Danny.

Danny remembered the congratulations and best wishes from their guests, from his family, their 5-0 family, the SEALs, and even the governor. Danny thought back to his wedding to Rachel. It was a lavish affair. There were more than 200 guests with a reception at one of the big hotels. He realized that he couldn't recall a single detail of the ceremony or the reception. He knew they made the right decision to keep it small and simple.

More memories flooded back. Fireworks punctuated their vows and the priest's blessing. There was a gentle breeze and a floral scent in the air. His mother, Kono, and Kamekona were wiping away their tears. After months of avoiding PDA's, Steve and Danny had their first public kiss. They held hands as they visited each table.

"It was perfect, wasn't it?" Steve was running his own montage. He was struck with the simplicity of the ceremony. He liked that they walked in holding hands with Grace. Steve knew he owed Grace a debt of gratitude for accelerating his relationship with Danny. He could still picture the look on Danny's face when Grace asked why Danny's wasn't sharing his room and his bed. He remembered the discussion with Danny on the lanai that night and later sleeping together. They agreed to go slow on the physical aspect of their new relationship, but that didn't last for long. Their attraction was too strong. Once Danny realized that he loved Steve too, Danny freely showed his affection.

Steve turned to face Danny, a very sexy smile on his face. He brought their hands up to admire their commitment bands. "They look good there. Good morning, Mr. McGarrett-Williams." Steve kissed Danny on their first morning together as partners. Danny decided it was a memorable kiss.

"Yes they do, and it was perfect. Good morning, Mr. McGarrett-Williams." Danny glanced at the clock and decided they had time yet this morning. He returned Steve's kiss and turned up the heat. His hands were everywhere, tugging at clothes and generally driving Steve crazy.

Steve had been happy just to cuddle with Danny this morning, but he loved what Danny was doing with his hands. No one ever drove him so close to the edge as quickly as Danny. Steve tried to slow the pace, but Danny wouldn't let him. It was like a storm that swept through, leaving them breathless and a little stunned. Steve would remember this time too with 'Hurricane Danny', as he thought of him now.

Danny didn't want to leave their bed, but they had a pretty full schedule this morning. They were meeting his family for brunch at the resort where Steve needed to sign the final bill. Danny didn't want to think what the total would be, but he didn't care. The time with his family was great, and he knew they were having their best vacation ever.

"I guess we should get washed up. Grace will be up soon." Steve had an unerring ability to guess when their daughter would be waking up. He kissed Danny one last time before he rolled out of bed. "We need to let her know that nothing has changed for her, that she's still welcome in here."

Danny got up quickly and followed Steve into the bathroom. He knew Steve was right. He remembered Grace's questions earlier this week. Part of Danny was surprised that Grace was insecure about her place with them after all they had been through, but he knew that it had been a turbulent year for her.

Sure enough, not minutes after they were back in bed, Grace tapped on the door. They were ready for her when she peaked around the door. "Come in Grace. We've been waiting for you." They agreed that Steve should take the lead on this issue. Grace knew her importance to Danny; he moved to Hawaii just to be with her. It was Steve that she had questions about now that he was officially Danny's partner.

Steve hugged Grace as she slipped under the covers. "Happy New Year, Grace." Danny hugged Grace and gave an identical greeting.

"Happy New Year, Daddy. Happy New Year, Danno. What are we doing today?" Grace knew that they were going out for breakfast.

"Well, we're meeting Nana and Poppa and everyone for the brunch buffet at their hotel. Then we're going to help them with their luggage at the airport. Poppa, Uncle Mark, and Uncle Bill have to turn in the rent cars, and I'm taking their bags to the terminal in my truck so they don't have to lug them on the shuttle. Then we're coming back here to spend some time with Aunt Mary and Scott until they leave."

"Can we go swimming this afternoon?" Grace was so happy to have her daddies cuddled up to her.

"We can do whatever you want." Danny thought Steve was handling Grace's questions just right.

"Mommy and Daddy Stan come home tomorrow, don't they?" That was weighing heavily on Grace. She knew that she would be going back to the big house tomorrow. Grace really missed her other family, but she would miss Steve and Danny more for the few days they would be gone. This had become her real home, as she thought of it, over the last few weeks. She felt more like a visitor at the Edwards home.

"Yes Monkey, their flight gets in tomorrow shortly after noon. They're going by their house to drop their bags off, and then they're coming over here to pick you up." Danny was sure that Grace knew all this.

"When will I come back to live with you and Daddy?" She wasn't sure why she wanted to cry. Nothing has changed, she kept telling herself. She was afraid that once she left, her room wouldn't be here when she came back.

Steve took the lead back. "Grace, we'll be back next weekend, but your mom and Daddy Stan want you to stay with them for a few extra days. They've missed you a lot and can't wait to see you. We're going to miss you too."

"How long will it be before I see you?"

"Well, let me count." Steve counted the days. "We'll pick you up eleven days from tomorrow, but I think that's too long. I think we should come back a little early next weekend, and maybe your mom will let you come over and spend Sunday with us. Would that be okay?" Steve knew that they were really looking forward to the time alone, but he couldn't let Grace think that they were abandoning her. He looked to Danny, who nodded his concurrence.

"I agree, I don't think we can go that long without seeing you. What do you think, Grace?" Danny wasn't sure what was causing Grace's questions, but he suspected that Rachel and Stan's long trip combined with their own ceremony had something to do with them.

"I'd like that. I don't want to go." Grace started to cry, and now she was mad at herself. She hated crying.

Steve and Danny sat up and Danny lifted Grace to his lap. Steve drew closer so that they could both comfort Grace. Steve was frustrated; he would do anything if Grace would stop crying, but he knew that Rachel and Stan needed Grace back with them again. He was in over his head, a feeling Danny shared.

"Monkey, your mom and Stan have missed you so much. I know you've been here a long time now, but you still have a home with them too. We all love you very much and we agreed that we have to share." Danny gave it a shot and hoped it would convince Grace.

"You wouldn't leave me here like they did, would you?" Grace finally got it out, what had been bothering her.

That broke Steve's heart. "No Grace, we couldn't leave you that long, but Stan didn't have a choice. If Stan didn't go, then he would lose his job. He would have to move away to find a new one, and he didn't want that. Your mom, Stan, Danno, and I are all tied here as one big family with you. Your mom knew that we could take care of you, but if she stayed here, there would be no one to take care of Stan. So you got to stay with us, and she had to go with Stan. Now they're coming back, and we'll all be together."

Grace thought about it and couldn't argue with Steve's logic. "Okay Daddy. I'm sorry I cried."

Steve took Grace from Danny and settled her on his lap. "Grace, don't ever be sorry for crying when you're upset about something. You can always talk to us if something is bothering you. You need to know that. And you will always have a place here with us. Can you repeat that?"

Grace nodded. "I'll always have a place here with you and Danno." She took a deep breath and smiled. Her little world righted itself and she would be okay. She leaned her head on Steve's shoulder. He was all hard muscle like Danno, but there was something different about Steve.

"Good! Now I think it's time for us to get ready to go out. Why don't you get dressed and brush your teeth. I'll be in to help you with your bed and your hair in a few minutes." Steve lifted her off the bed and watched her disappear out the door. "Wow, you need to talk to Rachel and let her know what is going on in Grace's head."

Danny and Steve made their bed as they discussed the problem. "I know. I worried that she might feel this way when the trip first came up, but she seemed okay with it. Thanks for volunteering to come back early so we could have her for a day."

"Danny, I couldn't let her feel that we were just passing her around like a hot potato. I hoped that you wouldn't mind. We'll be missing her anyway. I would give up the trip but Grace needs to get established with Rachel and Stan for her own sake as well as theirs."

"You're right about that too. I think we did the best we could. I'm not sure that we couldn't use some guidance from a professional with this if it continues."

"You mean have Grace go to a counselor. We'd have to go too, wouldn't we?"

"I'm afraid so. The counselor would talk to Grace, and then probably each of us as a couple. Then we would all have to meet together. Would you go?" Danny hated that this came up on what had been a really happy day.

"Danno, this is my family. I'll do whatever it takes to keep us together and happy. And don't worry about the timing. We have a child, and things will happen on their own schedule. We can't control it, and Grace comes first." Steve gave Danny a reassuring hug and went to brush his teeth.

Brunch went well considering that everyone was a little tired from their late night. Grace went back for seconds at the buffet; apparently her emotional storm left her with an appetite. The farewell at the airport was a little hurried because the drop-off point was so busy. Steve and Danny made it home in time to spend a little time with Mary and Scott. They left early so Mary could stop by and visit her friend, Rebecca.

Steve took Grace swimming as promised while Danny made a hurried call to Rachel and Stan. Rachel was distressed to hear about Grace's meltdown but grateful that Steve and Danny handled it so diplomatically. She readily agreed that Grace could spend a day next weekend at their home. Her pregnancy was advanced now; her doctors were displeased that she was still traveling. She suspected that the doctors had pushed her due date out too far. She hoped for a few more weeks before the new baby came so she could focus on Grace.

Danny changed into his suit and joined his family in the surf. Grace was giggling as she evaded Steve's grasp. He would almost have her and then slip in the surf. Danny knew Steve was letting Grace get away. Yeah, they were both big softies for Grace.

The rest of the day was routine for them. Supper was food left from last night's reception. Danny asked the caterer's to leave enough for their meal tonight; the remainder was packed up for one of the local shelters. They watched part of a football game together before adjourning upstairs for story time. They tucked Grace in, realizing that it would be another week before they had the pleasure.

They changed into their sleep clothes and went down to have a beer. Danny was still a little upset that Steve had to deal with such an emotional scene their first day. He hoped for an easy day where they could bask in the glow of last night's celebration.

Steve had no problem with the day's events. "You know, it feels different. I mean, you've lived here for over six months, and Grace has spent most of her time here with us. But it still feels different since the ceremony. I don't understand why couples say a piece of paper doesn't make a difference."

Danny was surprised at Steve's words. Then he realized that he felt the same way. It was different. They had rights now that others took for granted. And there was a deep contentment now. There was something special about standing in front of their family and friends and making their vows. There was no room for misunderstanding; they were together and they were a family.

"You're right, babe. Are we ready for the cabin?"

"We need to pack, and I think we need to run by the store to pick up a few things. We'll have time in the morning. Right now, I'd like to take my partner upstairs. I could use some 'Danno' time."

That made Danny smile. "I like the way you think."

Steve and Danny went to their room and locked the door. At least this time was for them. They were still wearing their matching bands, proof of their new union. Steve knew that Danny was feeling the aftershocks from the earlier scene in the bedroom, but Steve took it in stride. After years of going it alone, he accepted every aspect of family life with Danny. He knew there would be good times and bad times, happy times and sad times. What mattered most that they would face the future together as a family.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve decided to postpone his morning exercise until later in the day. Grace had a very rocky morning yesterday, and he didn't want to miss their morning time together. Steve did a mental review of the changes in his life over the last year. He had a rigid schedule that gave structure to his life. His schedule and his job were all he had. Weekends and holidays were the enemy because they disrupted his routine. He lived to serve, taking nothing for himself.

Steve looked over at Danny, who was still dead to the world. Danny was his world now, Danny and Grace. He no longer pounded the beach first thing every day. Steve still tried to fit everything in, but his family came first. Steve was replaying the scene with Grace; he was not sure what they could have done differently. Steve knew that there was no such thing as a perfect childhood; the adult who had a problem-free childhood would be ill-equipped to face life later. The trauma of his mother's death contributed largely to the person he is today. He wouldn't be the head of 5-0; he wouldn't have Danny or Grace.

Danny shifted in his sleep; he was now on his back, arms open. Okay, that was an invitation that Steve couldn't refuse. He moved over Danny, dropping soft kisses on Danny's face. His hand was starting an assault further down Danny's body.

Danny was having the most wonderful erotic dream. His lover was working magic with his mouth and his hand. His shirt was pulled off, and then he felt the wonderful friction of hair-roughened skin on skin. Danny surfaced enough to realize that this wasn't a dream. "Good morning, Mr. McGarrett-Williams." Danny loved the sound of that. He planned to say it every morning.

"Good morning, Mr. McGarrett-Williams, although I have to say that with what I planned to do to you, I hoped that we could be on a first-name basis." Steve quickly stripped them both. Danny was usually a slow starter in the morning, but other parts of Danny's were known to rise to the occasion.

Danny was feeling lazy today and let Steve take the lead this morning. Steve was very gentle and sweet with Danny. He let all his love show in the way he touched Danny. Danny's body was humming with sexual tension. He wanted a piece of the action too. He wanted Steve to need with the same intensity he was feeling.

Steve knew their honeymoon didn't officially start until they got to the cabin this afternoon, but he wanted to start their day with something special. It was the second day since their ceremony, and the sense of being really and truly joined with Danny hadn't faded. He hoped it never would. When they finally joined this morning, Steve had to pause. He wanted this to last forever, or at least longer than 30 seconds. His years of endurance training came in handy; it was several minutes before they found a mutual release.

"I love your wake-up calls." Danny held Steve close. His heart was racing, and he was a little out of breath. Danny wasn't sure what emotional upheavals today would bring when Grace left with Rachel and Stan this afternoon. At least they had this now.

"I love seeing you here in the morning. When I admitted my feelings for you, I never expected it to turn out this perfect. Are you ready to spend some quality time with me?" Steve was nuzzling Danny's neck, making it hard for Danny to think straight.

"You bet! I've been looking forward to this for weeks. It will be my favorite honeymoon, and my last honeymoon."

"Good answer, Danno. 2012 is going to be a good year for us. We'd better get moving; I think Grace will be in soon."

Steve and Danny made it back to bed with seconds to spare. Steve opened the door so Grace wouldn't have to tap on their door. She was all smiles this morning, the trauma of yesterday forgotten. Grace saw Steve and Danny waiting for her and ran into the room. She slipped under the covers and hugged both dads.

"Good morning Danno. Good morning Daddy." She settled in for their morning time. Grace thought a lot about their conversation from yesterday and decided that her daddies were probably right. She really missed her mother and even Daddy Stan. She wasn't sure how they would treat her today. Family time with them after their return from New Jersey last summer was very tense. It had improved a lot by the time that Rachel and Stan left for their holiday tour, but Grace was smart enough to know that it would be different again with their return. She didn't like change.

They spent a long time cuddling; it would be their last time together for a week. Steve realized that he was addicted to fatherhood. He was spoiled by the weeks that she lived with them. The holiday season, although stressful at times, was the most perfect time for him. He loved the lights and the tree. He loved it all. They were taking the tree down and putting away most of the decorations today. Their yard crew promised to put the outside decorations away for them. He and Danny both needed to pack, although that would not take long.

Grace decided she wanted one of Daddy's special omelets for breakfast. They spent a couple of hours putting the house back to pre-holiday order. It was a little sad for them, but it would be worse to come back a week later and do it. Steve and Danny packed for their trip and also for Grace. There were some things she wanted to take back to her other house. Steve decided Grace needed some Looney Tunes therapy and took them to Crystal's for lunch. Steve managed to accumulate a decent score at Skeeball, although Danny was the undisputed champ.

They stopped at the supermarket for some last minute provisions and finally made it home with little time to spare. Steve did that on purpose; he didn't to give Grace any time to fret about seeing Stan and Rachel. Rachel called Danny while they were shopping to tell him that they were on their way home. Steve and Danny sat down to talk to Grace before her other parents arrived.

"Grace, remember what we talked about. Your mom and Stan missed you. You know that; you talked to them almost every day. We'll have a satellite phone with us because our cell phones don't work at the cabin. You can call us when you get home from school or to say goodnight. If we don't answer, leave a message and we'll call you back. And we'll pick you up next Sunday morning after breakfast. You'll spend the day with us and we'll drop you off at school on Monday. The Friday after that, we'll pick you up and you'll spend the week with us, just like before." Steve wanted Grace to understand that she always had a place with them.

"This time with you, Grace, was the best part of Christmas. We'll miss you while we're gone. We'll talk to Mr. Page and book a weekend there when you can come with us, okay? Now give me a hug. Remember, Danno loves you." It was difficult for Danny to let Grace to back to Rachel. He remembered what Steve said yesterday, that Grace needed to spend time with Rachel and Stan. And he needed the time alone with Steve. They both needed that.

Rachel and Stan pulled in the McGarrett-Williams driveway. Rachel sat in the car, not sure if she had the strength to face Grace after such a long flight home. She couldn't bear it if Grace was still upset. Just then, Grace ran out to meet her mommy. She was all smiles and excitement, and Rachel pushed herself out of the car to greet her.

"Grace, sweetheart, I missed you so much." Rachel pulled her daughter close; she was sure Grace had grown in her absence. Stan watched the family reunion, feeling like an outsider until Grace released her mother and turned to him. "Daddy Stan, you're home." He received an equally enthusiastic hug.

Steve and Danny stood in the doorway, their arms around each other. There was a time when it would have torn Danny's heart up to see Grace greet Stan like this. Today, he was only happy that Grace didn't feel abandoned. Stan and Rachel walked to the porch to congratulate Steve and Danny on their union. Handshakes and hugs were exchanged.

Danny was stunned to see how far Rachel's pregnancy had advanced. As the tension from her marriage eased and disappeared, her earlier weight loss was offset by weeks of good food and a few spa treatments. He made sure that Rachel and Grace had the satellite phone number while Steve carried Grace's things downstairs. They made their farewells quickly and watched Grace drive away. It was the first time in weeks that they were parted, and it hurt.

"We'll see her on Sunday. She'll be okay, Steve." Danny held Steve until the look of distress left his face. "Come on, it's time for us to go."

Steve broke out of his reverie and followed Danny into the house. They quickly loaded Steve's truck and hit the road. Unlike their first trip to the cabin, traffic was light. It was a quasi-holiday; state and federal offices were closed, as were many businesses. Steve and Danny made their usual stop for smoked brisket and chicken before they went on to the cabin. Danny had Bon Jovi playing on the radio, and Steve let him listen in peace.

Steve's stomach fluttered as he pulled up in front of the cabin. He gave Danny one of his patented half-smiles. "Are you ready for this?"

Danny leaned over to give Steve a hard kiss. "You bet, babe." He slid out of the passenger side of the truck to help Steve unload. Danny knew this was the right choice for them. Over the months, they had a few pockets of time when they put work and chores aside to focus on each other. There was one Saturday where they chilled out on the couch all day, and a few more nights they devoted to each other when Grace was at Rachel's, but they had until Saturday afternoon when they would go back to the house. That was five days without any responsibilities except to each other.

When the last bag was stowed, Steve turned to Danny. "Are you hungry?" Steve was still full from pizza and salad, but Danny was looking pretty hot.

Danny had his fill of pizza too. "I think I could postpone supper for a while. What do you have in mind?"

Steve was already pealing his shirt off and unsnapping his shorts. "First, I want to walk around naked. I call nude Monday. We're alone, and I want to see you and I want you to see me."

Danny shook his head and laughed. "Steven, you are a pervert, and I like the way you think." Danny peeled his clothes off in record time. He stepped to Steve and wrapped his arms around him. They stood there like that until Danny decided he wanted more. He saw a quilt draped over the couch and decided that it would do. He led them in front of the fireplace and threw the quilt on the wooden floor.

Steve got the idea and pulled Danny down. "This will be a new place for us."

"What, are you counting the places that we make love?" Danny was always amazed at the way Steve's mind worked.

"Let's just say that I like variety and I like a challenge. There are a few places outside that I plan to try, some during the day, some at night under the stars." Steve thought a lot about their honeymoon. He wanted to be alone with Danny more than anything. A nice room at a resort would give them more options, but he was willing to give up the amenities to be alone with Danny.

"Will I be able to walk by the time we leave?" Danny was a little apprehensive and very aroused.

"Well, let's just say that I won't be able to run on the beach every morning, so I need to work out another way."

"Oh, so I'm part of your physical fitness routine." Danny wasn't sure if he should be pleased or pissed off.

"No, Danno. You are part of my mental fitness routine." Steve pulled Danny close and sighed. "I need you Danno."

"I need you too Steve." He kissed Steve very softly. Danny decided that he wanted to set the mood this time. He went for slow and sweet. Danny started behind Steve's left ear and strung kisses everywhere. Then he switched the Steve's right ear. Steve was raking his fingers through Danny's hair, something that drove Danny crazy.

Steve closed his eyes and let the pleasure sweep through him. He was turned on from the instant they shed their clothes. He wanted to be naked a lot this week. It was a freedom he seldom exercised anymore with Grace in the house.

Danny moved over Steve now, anxious to mate with him. He picked up the pace, the need growing inside him. Steve opened his eyes, and Danny saw a need there too. They came together, and thoughts of slow and sweet went out the door. It was hard, fast, and urgent. It amazed Danny that it sometimes started one way and ended another.

They lay together for a long time, holding each other and talking. When the sun went down, the cabin chilled. Steve finally rose to start a fire, and they took a shower (although not together because the stall was too small). They sat at the table, nude as Steve requested, and ate the smoked meats and side dishes. They cuddled on the couch for hours, the quilt around them now for comfort.

Around midnight, they made love again. It was almost unbearably sweet. They were both so relaxed, and the knowledge that nothing and no one would interrupt allowed them to linger. They moved to the bed and slept in each other's arms. It was the perfect end to their day.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve and Danny woke to rain, which wasn't unusual. It rained frequently, but not for long. This was a slow steady rain, and they knew that it would probably last at least through the morning. It was a good morning to stay in bed and listen to the patter of rain on the roof.

The cabin was a little chilly because of the dampness, so Steve crawled out early to light a fire. They stayed in bed until mid-morning when hunger drove them out. Steve fixed them French toast, his first attempt. Steve decided that he had watched Danny make it often enough that he should be able to make it for them. After breakfast, they sat on the porch swing with a second cup of coffee and watched the rain come down. Everything was so green and smelled fresh.

Danny was used to being busy with work or the house or Grace. Just sitting there swinging was a new experience. Steve was also a man of action, but he seemed content to sit there, cup in one hand and an arm slung around Danny's shoulder. After all the crappy cases they had to deal with and the chaos of the holiday season, Steve was happy to have nothing more on his agenda than what to fix for lunch or where to make love to Danny again.

"So babe, what do you want to do this morning or at least until the rain stops?" Danny was getting a little antsy.

"I thought we'd could sit here and finish our coffee, maybe talk a little. Actually, this is kind of nice. We have nothing to do and nowhere we need to be. There's no TV to distract us; I didn't even bring my latest 'Guns and Ammo' magazine." That earned a snort from Danny. "When it stops raining and dries up a little, we can go for a walk or a swim in the lake. For now, I'm happy just sitting here with you." Steve was feeling a little offended that Danny didn't feel the same way and that pissed him off a little. He really didn't want to sound like a wife.

"Sorry Steve, I've gotten out of the habit of doing nothing. I used to have a lot of free weekends before we started getting Grace so much. When I was in my apartment, there wasn't much going on over the weekend once I finished my laundry and shopping for the week." Danny leaned into Steve; he had to admit it was a relief to relax.

"What did you do then?" Steve worried about Danny during those bleak days when nothing was going right for him.

"I watched too much TV, drank too much beer. I didn't handle it very well. I was pretty miserable, and I hated living in Hawaii with such a passion."

"Really, I didn't notice." Steve pulled Danny a little closer. Oh yeah, he could sit like this for a while.

"What did you do during the weekends before Grace and I moved in?"

"I worked on the house and the Marquis. I spent a lot of time sorting through Dad's papers. I worked out." Steve tried to remember his other activities, but nothing else came to mind. It sounded pretty dreary. "We were a pathetic pair, weren't we Danno?"

"Yes, we were. But no more. There's always something going on, even before the holidays. Getting Grace as often as we do had made a huge difference. There's always something to do around the house. It's a lot more rewarding cooking and baking for a family instead of just one person. It sounds almost normal, doesn't it?" Danny tried to remember the last time his life had even approached normal. He supposed it was during his marriage to Rachel before his promotion to detective. He worked a rotating shift, but at least he only worked eight hours a day with regular days off. After his promotion, he worked long hours and too many weekends. His marriage deteriorated from there.

"I wouldn't know Danny. I don't think I ever had normal. For as long as I can remember, Dad worked long hours. Mom used to wait up for him. He came in after we went to bed a lot of nights. I've eaten more family meals with you and Grace than I did as a kid with Mom and Dad and Mary."

That really disturbed Danny. He had an image of a young Steve waiting at the front window for his dad to come home. "That's why you make such an effort to leave at a decent time during the weeks we have Grace."

Steve knew that Danny would get it. "Yes, I think it's important especially when she's got so much going on in her life. The weeks she's not with us, we can put in extra time. Or sometimes we run data from home after she's asleep. It gives her the security of a good family life. You've seen the way kids can go bad. Some come from good families, and some from good families go bad for no particular reason. It's the kids who never really had a chance that get to me. It makes me realize that while I didn't have the ideal childhood, I always knew that Mom and Dad loved Mary and me."

They spent the rest of the morning, swinging and talking. They talked about their school years. Danny knew that Steve was a science nerd, and Steve knew that Danny played Little League. The rain stopped, but the day stayed cooler. They spent the afternoon making fresh vegetable soup. They continued to talk over slicing and dicing. It was very restful, and Danny realized that Steve made a wise decision to basically do nothing. They made love in front of the fireplace again and spent some time by the lake stargazing when the sky cleaned.

The weather for the remainder of the week was picture perfect. They hiked in the woods, swam in the lake, and caught fish. They also spent time swinging on the porch every day, and there was another no-clothes day. That first day, Danny was sure they would become bored and start sniping at each other. He didn't count on how creative Steve could be.

When it was time to pack up on Saturday, Danny was truly sorry. He was so relaxed and very well loved. It was without a doubt the most peaceful time he had known. There were no problems or disagreements. He realized that Steve had always been near him, usually touching him. They walked either holding hands or with their arms around each other. There was no one to watch or to judge.

"So, was it what you expected, Danno?" Steve swept the kitchen floor as Danny packed up the perishables. He was more philosophical than Danny about going back to reality. He was 100% healthy for the first time since his ill-fated trip to North Korea. Steve was amazed at how quickly the days passed, but it was time to go home. They had a daughter they missed, friends they loved, and a job that needed to be done.

"No, not really. I thought we'd have a lot of frenzied sex between marathon hikes through the woods. We did have a lot of sex, and we walked in the woods. But the sex wasn't frenzied, and I enjoyed our hikes. I never knew where we were going or what we would do, and it didn't seem to matter. It was enough that we were together."

"So, it was okay." Steve wondered if Danny would have preferred something different now. They had been totally unplugged except for daily calls from Grace. There would be a price to pay for that. He imagined they had scores of e-mails both at work and at home. The stack of mail waiting for them on the dining room table would also be daunting.

Danny closed the last box and stepped over to hold Steve. "Steven, it was more than okay. It was perfect. Thank you. Now, are we ready to go back to civilization?"

"Only with you, Danno." They packed up the truck and made one last pass through the house. Then it was time to drive home. They discussed an action plan once they reached home. They needed to unpack and start laundry. They also needed to buy groceries and go through the mail. Traffic had picked up because everyone was out running errands on Saturday.

The house was back to normal when they pulled into the driveway. The Christmas decorations were gone; Steve found them neatly packed in the garage. Danny was pleased to see the mail sorted into junk mail, questionable stuff, and items that were probably important. Most of the mail went into the trash. There were various cards wishing them well on their union. Some of that was junk mail and went into the trash also.

Grace called the house number to see if her dads were home yet. Grace had a tough week without Steve and Danny. Stan and Rachel lost any semblance of a normal schedule during their tour, and they struggled to get their routines in sync. Stan had mountains of notes to organize into a report for his investors. Rachel had difficulty sleeping and getting up with Grace was almost impossible. Stan took over the responsibility of getting Grace ready for school. He couldn't braid her hair the way she wanted, and the most he could make for breakfast was cold cereal.

Grace could tell that Stan was making an effort and she appreciated it, but she missed her Danny and Daddy Steve. Nothing was the same. Mommy didn't wake her up in the morning anymore, and Mommy was tired when she came home from school. After dinner, Mommy went upstairs to lie down. Stan split his time between Grace and Rachel until it was Grace's bedtime.

Steve was surprised when the house phone rang. He saw Grace's number on the caller ID and frowned. "Grace, is everything okay?" There was silence on the other end of the line; Steve knew that was a bad sign. "Grace honey, talk to me. You know you can tell me anything."

He heard a sniff and knew Grace was crying. "Grace, do you want Danno and me to come over?" Danny stopped his inventory of the kitchen and hurried over to Steve.

"Uh-huh." That was all Grace could get out.

"Grace, is your mother or Stan there? Give the phone to one of them for me, will you sweetheart?" Steve gripped the phone, his heart sinking. What could have happened to upset Grace so much? After too many minutes, Stan came on the line.

Steve took a deep breath and reminded himself that Stan was family now. Stan was equally upset when Grace tearfully brought the phone to him. He was relieved to hear Steve on the phone. Stan knew that Grace was unhappy with them this week, and he was at his wit's end trying to look after both Rachel and Grace. Stan hugged Grace in an effort to comfort her and sent her in to sit with Rachel

"Steve, I don't suppose you said something to make Grace cry?" Stan knew the odds were slim that either Steve or Danny would put Grace in such a state. He knew what needed to be done and hoped that Rachel would agree.

"Stan, Danny and I just got back in town about an hour ago. We were just leaving to go grocery shopping when Grace called. She couldn't even talk. What is going on?" It took every ounce of self-control Steve had not to go over there and punch the man out.

Stan quickly explained the situation at his house. Before Steve could make any demands, Stan made his request. "Steve, Grace isn't happy here. Rachel is mostly on bed rest these days, and Grace is suffering as a result. Grace would be happier with you and Danny. I need to talk to Rachel, but I think it would be better if Grace stayed over there until Rachel has the baby and she can get back on her feet. Maybe Grace could come over after school some days and eat dinner with us before you pick her up. I think Rachel will agree as long as she can see Grace."

Danny was listening on the extension and nodded to Steve. He supposed that it was inevitable, and he wouldn't be sorry except that Grace was so miserable. "Stan, it's Danny. Why don't you tell Grace that we're on our way over to pick her up so that she can get her things together? Talk to Rachel and get her agreement. You can have Grace over to visit or for an overnight when Rachel is up to it, but we'll keep Grace the rest of the time. It's not a shift in our custody agreement. This is just between us in Grace's best interest."

Steve and Danny finished up in the kitchen; Stan would need a little time to talk to Rachel. They arrived at the Edwards' home forty-five minutes later. Someone must have been watching; the gates opened for them before Danny could get out of the car to buzz the house. Grace was waiting at the front door. Steve barely had time to put the Camaro in park before she barreled out the door.

Her eyes were dry, but her face was still red and her eyes puffy. Grace was so happy to see Danno and Daddy. She was embarrassed that she cried again; she only wanted to talk to her dads. She remembered her last meltdown with them the morning after their ceremony. Daddy told her that she could always talk to them and that it was okay to cry. She missed them so much.

Danny stood as he held Grace so Steve could share in the hug. Danny thought that she looked tired, much as she had looked during Steve's deployment. Stan stood in the doorway. "Danny, Rachel is in the living room. She would like to talk to you while Steve gets Grace packed up."

Rachel was miserable when Danny walked in. She felt that she had failed Grace and Stan to some extent. Danny remembered how she was at the end of her pregnancy with Grace. He knew she would be in tears if he wasn't careful. "Rachel, I hear you're having a tough time. Please let us help you out. Grace can stay with us until you're feeling better. She can come over whenever you want. It will be just until you can get back on your feet."

Rachel hated this. She recognized that Danny was doing his best to be kind and that his request was quite generous. Stan told her that Grace was unhappy, something she already knew. Rachel did the right thing for Grace. "Danny, I think that would be best. Could she come back on after school on Monday to have dinner with Stan and me? He can drop her off at your place when we're finished."

"That will be fine. Depending on what kind of day we're having, we might work a little late and we can swing by to pick Grace up. We'll call. Take care of yourself, will you. Pretty soon, you'll have another little one to look after, and this will all be worth it." He carefully hugged Rachel, trying not to squash the baby.

"Thanks, Danny. Please thank Steve for me. I know this isn't what you needed after your honeymoon." Rachel felt like crying, but exhaustion kicked in and she was asleep before Steve and Danny drove out the gates.

Steve and Danny drove back to their home to unload Grace's gear before they went on to the supermarket. Grace was quiet on the drive home but she cheered considerably when they pulled in the driveway. Danny opened her door and offered a hand. "My lady, your home awaits."

Grace gave him a thousand-watt smile. "Thanks, Danno. It's good to be home." The smile lasted through supper at her favorite noodle house and the trip to the grocery store. She smiled through her shower and bedtime story. Grace faded early that night, her exhaustion catching up with her.

Steve and Danny checked on her before turning in for the night. She was sleeping peacefully. "I think something just shifted today. Grace needs to be with us, at least for now." Steve pulled Danny close; he knew that Danny was deeply concerned for both Grace and Rachel.

"You're right Steve. She needs us as much as we need her. She's home here; it looks like you're stuck with us." Danny knew it would be a while before he had time alone with Steve again. He was grateful for the days they had.

"If that's true, they you're stuck with me too. We're a family Danny. It's been a long day, and those muscles in your neck are all bunched up. I have a remedy for that, if you think that you're up to it. After all, it is our almost one-week anniversary."

Danny smiled; Steve always knew what to say. "I think I can manage. No more nude Mondays."

"Probably not for a while. How about for the next hour or so. It's a small price to pay, Danny. We want her here, and she needs us. Tomorrow, she'll crawl in bed with us and we'll be happy she's there. We're losing something but it won't be forever. Grace will only be a child once, and we're going to have front row seats watching her mature into a beautiful, well-adjusted, young lady. I say that offsets everything else. Come to the bed." Steve tugged Danny down the hall.

Grace had happy dreams that night. She dreamed of a princess locked in a tower. Two brave knights rode up to save her; they looked just like Danno and Daddy. She knew that they would come to save her.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Danny was surprised that he slept all night; actually, he was surprised that he slept at all. He never slept when there was a problem with Grace. He was continually sleep-deprived after the divorce until Rachel agreed to change their custody agreement. He was still distressed about the turn of events at Stan and Rachel's house. Danny could only imagine how unhappy Grace must have been for her to call them yesterday. While he appreciated his time away with Steve, he would have come home early for Grace.

"Grace is okay Danny. I checked on her about an hour ago. I don't think she moved from the time that we tucked her in. She was exhausted."

"I'm not going to ask how you knew what I was thinking." Danny closed his eyes in frustration and wondered if ninja skills included some sort of psychic abilities.

Steve rolled over to face Danny. "Danny, what else would you be thinking about? I'm upset that Grace was so unhappy last week. I guess when you think about it, Stan and Rachel did it to themselves. They leave her here for over six weeks during the most special time of the year. When they do get back, Rachel is so pregnant and exhausted from traveling that she is unable to take care of Grace. Although Stan stepped up to take of Grace, he doesn't have a strong enough bond or enough experience to fill the gap for Rachel. I'll give him major points for asking for our help. But at the heart of the matter, I think Grace still feels abandoned."

"You're right, Steve. I can't imagine a scenario that would cause me to leave Grace like that. What should we do next?" Danny couldn't believe that he was asking Steve for advice about Grace.

"Danny, I think we're doing it. Grace will live with us until she feels comfortable enough to stay with Stan and Rachel. For now, we limit visits to a few hours. I can't see them asking for an overnight stays until after Rachel has the baby. Stan demonstrated yesterday that he had Grace's best interests at heart. When the time comes, if Grace refuses to transition back, then we work with an expert to help her out. Until then, we let her know that all of us love her and want her to be happy."

Danny considered Steve's opinion; he remembered his mother's advice about not borrowing trouble. "Okay, but I think we should talk to her today, hopefully now that she's calmer. She needs to understand that Stan and Rachel love her. It's just that Rachel physically isn't up to taking care of her, and Stan needs to make sure that Rachel and the baby are okay. How late do you think she will sleep today?"

Steve glanced at the clock; it was past eight o'clock already. "She will probably sleep for a while if we let her, but maybe it would be better if we bring her in here now. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get up. I can think of other ways to pass the time, but I think we're both too preoccupied to really enjoy it. It's like when I came home from my deployment and North Korea. I needed food and rest, but mostly I just needed things to be the way they were before I left. So why don't you get our daughter and bring her in for a while. Then we'll eat breakfast and maybe have a family game day or something like it."

Danny thought it was a good plan. He detoured to the bathroom before going to Grace's room. Steve was correct; she hadn't moved much since last night. Danny gently picked Grace up and carried her to their bedroom. He knew that she was waking up when Grace reached up to hug his neck. "Hey Monkey, we've been waiting for you."

Danny laid Grace in the middle of the bed and slipped in beside her. Steve rolled to face Grace and stroked her hair. He thought she looked much better than last night; the circles under her eyes had faded. "Good morning Grace."

Grace opened her eyes and smiled. She had been afraid that it was a wonderful dream, but here she was with Danno and Daddy, and they were happy to see her. "Good morning Daddy. Good morning Danno."

"Are you feeling better this morning?" Danny watched closely for any sign of distress.

"Uh-huh. It's good to be home. Can I ask you a question Danno?"

"You know that you can ask me anything. What's on your mind?" Danny prayed that there were no more landmines to avoid today.

"Am I in trouble for calling yesterday? I know that I wasn't supposed to come over until today." Grace worried that she screwed up. She knew that Danno and Daddy were on a special trip because of their ceremony, and Mommy and Daddy Stan wanted her to stay with them.

"Grace, you're not in trouble. I talked to your mother and Stan. Your mother is feeling pretty rotten, like when you were sick last month. She won't feel better until the baby comes, and even then, it will be a while before she's feeling okay. She was worried that she couldn't take care of you, and Daddy Stan knew that you weren't happy. We all agreed that you'll stay here until Mommy is feeling better. You'll visit sometimes after school or on the weekend, but you'll sleep here all the time. All of us want what is best for you, and we think that is what's best. What do you think?" Danny held his breath and prayed that he said the right words to Grace.

"Okay, that sounds good. You and Daddy aren't mad?"

Steve knew that it was his turn to reassure Grace. "Grace, we would like you here all the time, but that would be selfish. So no, we're not mad at all. And I think if you call your mom and Stan this afternoon, you'll find that they're not mad either. In fact, they want you to come over after school tomorrow and stay to have dinner with them. Then you'll come back here and sleep in your own bed. Is that okay with you?" Steve hoped that it was because he knew there were bigger issues if Grace would not return to the Edwards' house for even a short visit.

Grace thought about it and decided that she could do that. "Okay, as long as I can come back here tomorrow night." Grace told Danny and Steve about her week at school. She was upset that she got a "C" in spelling, and she was late on her homework assignments.

Danny knew that today's agenda would start with Grace's homework. They lingered in the bedroom for a little while. Once Grace started talking, she spilled out the details from her whole miserable week. It was a combination of a lot of things. Grace missed Danny and Steve; she was upset that her mother was sick; and Stan was unfamiliar with Grace's needs. Steve and Danny comforted Grace as much as they could. Mostly, it helped Grace to talk.

Grace requested bacon and pancakes for breakfast, Danno's special banana pancakes. They ate on the lanai, and Danny started Grace on her homework while Steve cleaned up the kitchen. The guys had their own homework too. Steve paid their bills online and finished the laundry. He also finished the necessary paperwork to notify various businesses of their name change. Steve even found time to run on the beach and swim his requisite five miles.

After lunch, they were finally able to break out the games. They played 'Sorry' and 'Clue' before Steve got a puzzle out. It was only a 500-piece puzzle depicting a quaint village during Christmas. They sat at the dining room table, now back to its normal smaller size, and worked for the rest of the afternoon on the puzzle.

Stan and Rachel called shortly before supper to talk to Grace. Stan promised to bring dinner home for them tomorrow. Grace was all smiles when she got off the phone. As Danny promised, no one was mad.

Steve grilled fish and veggies for supper. Danny made a salad, and Steve took them out for shave ice for dessert. Kamekona had a soft spot for Grace, and he was happy to see Steve and his favorite haole. When they arrived home, Grace went up to take a shower. Steve helped her with her hair, and they started a new book for story time. Grace went to bed on time, and for the first time in a week, she was prepared for school.

Steve and Danny watched one of the playoff games Danny recorded earlier while they had a beer. They agreed that Grace had a good day, but they expected there would be other bumps in the road. Steve suggested some time in the Jacuzzi tub, an idea Danny could appreciate. Steve knew that Danny was still beating himself up over something that he couldn't control. Steve was just relieved that Stan and Rachel were being reasonable about their inability to look after Grace's need. He had the number of the island's best family law attorney on speed-dial. The man was a former SEAL who obtained his law degree after a medical discharge from the Navy. He would go for full custody if necessary, but he preferred to see if the grownups could work things out.

Danny relaxed back into Steve's arms and let the water jets work their magic. Although he appeared laid back during the day, he was still upset by the situation. He hated that Grace had suffered so much in their absence.

Steve could feel the tension in his partner's body. "Danny, it's going to be okay. Grace bounced back today. She was okay after her conversation with Stan and Rachel. She ate three good meals and finished her homework." Steve worked on the tense muscles in Danny's neck and shoulders. When Steve's fingers slipped lower around the front, Danny turned to face Steve.

"Is this a little comfort sex? I mean it's okay if it is, but you don't have to…." Danny's words were cut off when Steve kissed him hard. Steve wanted to work off his own frustrations, and he didn't want Danny thinking about anything but the two of them. Danny was caught up in a storm of emotions.

"I'm not looking to comfort you tonight, Danno." Then Steve whispered in Danny's ear exactly what he intended to do. Danny's eyes glazed over at the words. Before Danny could think, Steve started his assault on Danny's senses. His hands were hard and demanding.

It took Danny a few minutes to catch up to Steve, and then he gave as good as he got. Although it was only yesterday morning since they were together like this, Danny missed the contact. Mating with an Alpha male like Steve was unique, and he would want Steve like this until he died, and probably even after that.

Steve never spoke, using his hands and his mouth to take what he wanted. By the time he took possession of Danny, the need was so great he thought he would explode. Their release was swift and hard.

It was a while before either spoke. "Okay, that was definitely not comfort sex." Steve met his first goal: Danny was only thinking about the two of them in the tub now.

Steve smirked. "But you have to admit that you feel better now, don't you."

"I'll let you know as soon as I regain sensation below the waist." Danny's body was still tingling, although his heart was slowing to its normal rhythm.

"It was just something to keep away the post-holiday doldrums." Steve was determined to put Danny in a better frame of mind before tomorrow morning. God knows what went on while they were away, although Steve was sure that Chin could handle the team. Christmas might be over, but as far as Steve was concerned, he would enjoy his biggest present all year long. Steve lifted Danny's hand to admire their matching bands.

"Thanks, Steve." Danny felt lose now, all tension banished under Steve's miracle hands. He pulled the plug to let the now cool water out. They finished in the steamy shower, but neither was compelled to start another round. Tomorrow would be their first work day of 2012, and they expected the day would be busy.

It was a typical Monday. The weather was sunny, and Steve was up early to work out. Grace was dressed and her hair was neatly braided when she came down for breakfast. Steve fixed omelets, deciding they would need a little protein to get them through their day.

Steve and Danny walked Grace in and stopped to visit with the teacher. She had been very concerned about Grace last week, and the sight of the two handsome men made her heart flutter a little. "Commander, Detective, it's good to see you. Grace looks well this morning."

Danny explained the change in Grace's living arrangements. The teacher was relieved that Grace would be staying with her father and the commander. Stan had already sent an email to the school office giving official notification and circumstances. The teacher assured Steve and Danny that she would accept the late assignments and promised to call them if there were any problems.

"I don't expect there will be any more issues. Grace has done very well with you in the past. We have a counselor here on staff if you think it would help Grace to talk to her. It sounds like you and the Edwards are doing what is best for Grace. I confess that I'm relieved that she is back with you."

Steve stopped to talk to Grace before they left. "Grace, remember when I came back from my trip and I was injured. You watched over me and tucked me in that night. And when I was sick a couple of weeks later, you and Danno took care of me."

Grace nodded; she was happy to have the opportunity to return some of the care that Steve lavished on her.

"That's what your mommy needs now. She isn't feeling well, and it's lonely being by yourself all day when you're sick. If you just sit with her while you do your homework and maybe read to her when you're done, it will help her feel better. And I think that she would like it if you tucked her in before you came home. Can you do that?"

Grace's face brightened at Steve's question. "Yes, I can. Will it really help Mommy?"

"I promise you that it will, and Daddy Stan could probably use a few extra hugs. He's worried about your mom and the baby, and he misses you a lot." Steve couldn't believe that he was encouraging Grace to be nice to Stan; he supposed that they had come a long way since last summer. "Either Daddy Stan will bring you home, or we'll pick you up after dinner. Have a really good day, okay?" Steve hugged Grace one last time before walking to the Camaro.

Danny joined him a few minutes later. "Do you think she's okay?"

"She's probably doing better than we are. We'll slide back into the routine in a day or two. Did you call Emelina to let her know she needs to pick Grace up? She doesn't mind dropping Grace off at Rachel's, does she?"

"No, she's been terrific. I think we're going to have both girls this Friday night while she uses her gift card to take her husband out to dinner. Do you think we're up to it?"

"No problem Danno. We'll take them to Crystal's where they'll overdose on pizza and Looney Tunes and skeeball."

"Well, when you put it like that, who could resist." Danny saw the palace come into view. "Here's hoping we don't face any terrorist attacks or gang wars on our first day back."

"From your mouth to God's ear, Danno." They climbed the stairs leading to their 5-0, hoping for a quiet day.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Their first day back was a Monday. That mostly says it all. Steve had the 2012 budget to finalize and performance evaluations to complete. Steve wouldn't be completing Danny's eval, needless to say. Lori and Chin would provide feedback to the Governor, who would be completing Danny's paperwork. Steve also had a stack of reports to sign off on. He really hated paperwork, but it couldn't be helped.

Steve and Danny met in the break room, each looking for another cup of coffee. Danny missed wearing his ring; they agreed that it would be better not to wear their rings on the job as part of keeping their private lives away from the office. Danny, who was scheduled to testify this week in court, was reviewing the case file and had a meeting scheduled with the D.A.'s office. He would rather be in the field investigating something. He needed to stay busy so he wouldn't spend the day worrying if Grace was having a good day. Danny knew it was stupid to worry; Grace seemed happy enough this morning.

"If we can leave on time, do you want to go out to dinner with me? We can pick Grace up on the way home and save Stan the trip." Steve missed Danny this morning; he was accustomed to spending the day with Danny.

"Are you asking me for a date?" Danny had a ghost of a smile.

"I suppose I am. We can stop at home first to change clothes and pick up our rings." When Danny raised his eyebrows in question, Steve shrugged. "I miss wearing us wearing our rings. If that makes me a Neanderthal, then so be it."

Danny loved the way the tips of Steve's ears turned red when he embarrassed. "Then that makes us both Neanderthals, because I miss them too. And it's a date." Danny really wanted to hug Steve, but he settled for a hip bump instead.

It had been a little awkward when they walked in this morning for no reason that Steve could discern. It had been okay with Chin and Kono, but it went a little weird when Lori asked about the honeymoon. Danny pretended to get a phone call, and Steve mumbled something indistinguishable before hiding in his office.

Shortly after lunch, Steve had a visit from a reporter from the local paper. There was a follow-up article from an earlier piece about the new civil union law. The reporter wanted a quote from Steve or Danny. Apparently, someone had provided a photo of their kiss at the end of the ceremony. Steve's first inclination was to punch her out, but he knew that would be counter-productive. Danny was out of the office, so it was up to Steve to handle. He would rather face a dozen terrorists than deal with this now.

"Look, that was a private moment. We had only our family and closest friends. I suspect you got the photo from one of the catering staff, because I can't believe that any of the guests would have given you this." Steve knew he hit the mark from the expression on the reporter's face. He wasn't sure what to say. He took a deep breath and hoped he didn't blow it.

"Danny and I are very happy together. We're mostly like everyone else. We work. We share custody of Danny's daughter. It would be great if we could have the same opportunity as most people, to marry and be recognized in any state. At least we have this opportunity to be legally recognized in Hawaii." Steve really wished Danny was here. "And off the record, I would consider it a personal favor if you wouldn't run the photo."

The reporter weighed her options. "Okay, I'll withhold the photo if you'll answer one more question." When Steve didn't stop her, she went for it. "What would you say to those that maintain that same-sex marriages threaten family values?"

Steve leaned back in his chair and considered the question. "I would say that the heterosexual couples who live together indefinitely, have children, and choose not to get married are a bigger threat. Why would two men or two women who want to commit to each other threaten anyone?"

The reporter had no answer for Steve, nor did he expect one. "Thank you Commander. You held up your end of the bargain. I won't give my editor the picture, although it's possible that someone else will eventually run the photo. For what it's worth, congratulations to you and your partner."

Steve watched the reporter leave the 5-0 offices. He thought about the interview and wondered if he should have handled it differently. Steve wasn't used to discussing his personal life with outsiders. He knew that as the head of 5-0, he was newsworthy. Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams made an unlikely couple, and yet they made perfect sense to anyone who knew them well. Steve decided to file it away until tonight when he would have time to talk to Danny.

By quitting time, Steve made a huge dent in his pile of paperwork. He had a tension headache from staring at his laptop most of the day. Danny came by with a couple of Tylenol. "Here, you'd better take these before your head explodes. I just talked to Rachel; she's having a lovely visit with Grace. Those were her words, by the way. We can pick Grace up after dinner."

Steve accepted the capsules and took them with the rest of his bottle of water. "Thanks Danny. How did it go at the D.A.'s office? And are you ready to go?"

Danny moved behind Steve and massaged his neck and shoulders. "I was great, as usual. And yes, I am more than ready to go."

They stopped by the house to change clothes and put their rings on. Steve told Danny about his visit from the reporter on the way to the restaurant. "Danny, I wish you could have been there. I didn't really know what to say, so I went with the truth."

Danny was glad he was driving, for a change. It gave him time to think about it. "Well, first I have to compliment you; you didn't punch out the reporter. And I think you handled the questions well. I'm not sure I could have been as articulate. I guess we need to be prepared for more of the same."

Danny chose one of his favorite restaurants. He wanted a quiet place and some good Italian food. They were seated immediately; the hostess remembered Danny from his previous visits. Steve decided it was nice to take time out on a week night to have dinner with his partner.

"So Grace made it through the day okay?" Steve worried about Grace too.

"Yeah, she did okay. I talked to her teacher at lunch. Grace was having a very good day. Rachel sounded a lot better when I talked to her this afternoon. She's not being torn between trying to take care of Grace and taking care of herself."

"That's a tough spot. Are they going to be able to hire more help after the baby comes?"

"I don't know. I remember when Grace was a baby. She had colic, and it was well past midnight before Rachel could get her to go down, and that was on a good night. Sometimes if I was working second shift, I would sit up and rock her. Occasionally, Mom would come over and stay the night to take care of the baby. Rachel won't have that this time. Maybe this baby will sleep well for her."

"I missed you today. I missed being able to talk to you or hold your hand."

"I missed you too. You were pretty touchy-feely last week. I'll admit that I'm surprised how much I enjoyed getting away with you. I'm sorry we had to cut it short." Danny knew he shouldn't feel guilty, but they had been looking forward to their trip for a long time.

"Danny, you know I love you. I've always considered Grace a bonus for loving you. She's the prize in the Cracker Jacks box. And like anything else, you have to take the bad with the good. I never expected to raise a child, and Grace is such a special little girl. Never apologize for any sacrifice we make for her, okay? Besides, this is small stuff compared to when she starts driving or dating." Steve shuddered at the idea. He had visions of meeting Grace's dates at the front door in full SEAL mode, including guns, knives, and face paint. The idea cheered him considerably.

"I really don't want to ask what just went through your mind, do I?" Danny still thought Steve's mind was a scary place to visit.

"No, probably not. Thank God we have a few years before we have to face either of those. Danny, do you think we should reconsider wearing our rings at work?"

That question took Danny by surprise. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

Steve took Danny's left hand and admired the ring. "Our civil ceremony is not only common knowledge around the palace; it will be in the newspaper. It's not like we want to keep it a secret. And I really missed wearing my ring today. Did you wear your ring before when you were on duty?"

Danny thought carefully before answering Steve's question. He did wear his wedding ring on duty. What was the problem now? Was it that Steve was his boss that made it different? "Yes, I did wear my ring before. The reason I agreed with the decision before was I thought it was part of keeping our personal relationship away from the office."

"Danny, I'm not suggesting we engage in public displays of affection. But Chin wears his wedding ring. Other than the fact that our rings have unique matching designs, the rings only indicate to outsiders that we're committed to someone. Why don't we talk to Chin and Kono about it? They would probably look at it more objectively."

"You don't want to include Lori in the survey?"

"No, and not because I'm trying to exclude her. It's just that Chin knows HPD better than anyone, and Kono has a good head on her shoulders. And maybe because I'm still not sure that Lori wasn't hitting on me the night of the cage match." Steve didn't like the look on Danny's face from his last comment. "You should know that even if we weren't involved, I wouldn't go out with Lori. She's not what I was ever looking for."

"And I am?" Danny sat forward in the booth they were sharing.

Steve shook his head and laughed. "Danny, that's why I knew that it must be love. You were nothing I was looking for. Hell, I wasn't even looking to be with anyone. But I just couldn't resist being with you. You were the loudest, most annoying man I ever knew. I also knew that you had my back and that I could absolutely trust you. You were also the most dedicated father. And one day, I just knew that I wanted to be with you more than anything else. I wanted to be with Grace."

Steve's answer satisfied Danny. Their food arrived and both men ate with gusto. Danny knew his Italian restaurants, and this was a very good one. Steve had to taste Danny's chicken parmesan, and Danny sampled some of Steve's chicken Marsala. They took a pass on dessert, but Danny ordered a couple of canollis to go. They were one of Rachel's favorite desserts.

Grace was happy to see them when they arrived to pick her up. Stan appreciated Danny's thoughtfulness in bringing Rachel a treat. It was at that point that Steve realized that how far they had all come since the night that Stan threatened Danny. Stan no longer considered Danny a threat to his marriage.

Grace was chatty on the way home. She reported on her day at school, her afternoon with Rachel, and her family dinner with Stan and Rachel. Grace finished her homework and read to Rachel. They had Chinese food for dinner, and Stan remembered that Grace liked lo mein. Danny sent her up to get her shower when they arrived home. Steve went into the kitchen to pack lunches. It was back to their old routine.

Steve pulled Danny into the bedroom after they tucked Grace in. It took Danny by surprise; he usually knew when Steve had needed him like this. It had been difficult maintaining a professional demeanor today for both of them. Now there was no need to hold back, and they didn't.

It would take them a while to adjust to their new status. Grace would continue to need reassurance from Steve and Danny when Rachel had the baby. After a couple of conversations with Chin and Kono, Steve and Danny decided to wear their rings at work. No one seemed to notice or care. The newspaper article quoting Steve appeared in the paper, but Steve refused to talk to any other reporters on the subject. They made it through their first week back at work and the Friday night sleepover with Ali.

It was the calm before the storm. They were called out on a case shortly after midnight on Sunday morning. Steve hated to interrupt their weekend, and this case would hit them harder than others. Some days, Danny just hated his job.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Season 2, Episode 13 "Ka Ho'oponopono"

Their victim was a seventeen year old girl. She was only a junior in high school. Her father, a widower, was sure that it had something to do with her boyfriend. Emily Winter was popular at school, and her father never had at trouble with her until she stole $5,000 from him a few weeks before. Steve felt his gut clinch. It was a parent's nightmare. Steve was not sold on the boyfriend's involvement until Kono received a report from the lab confirming that the boyfriend had been in the Emily's room recently.

Steve and Kono would have to wait to question Luke Preston. He had overdosed on liquor and pills; their timely arrival at his home probably saved his life. They were able to question him later in the hospital. Steve disliked the kid on sight.

Steve remembered how he convinced Danny that they needed to keep Grace in a private school. Private school means rich kids like the young man laying on the hospital bid. He was disrespectful and rude, but he denied killing Emily.

Danny's visit to the school with Lori on Monday evoked memories for him. He wasn't a big fan of the academics, but he enjoyed the social activity. Chasing the cheerleaders made the top of his list. He was surprised that Lori hadn't enjoyed her high school years. He had her pegged as student body president and honor roll student. They questioned Emily's best friend, Karen Sargent, who either couldn't or wouldn't help them.

Meanwhile back at the office, Chin was deep in discussion with Steve. The Yakuza, Adam Noshimuri in particular, was after Joe White. Chin and Joe had a narrow escape when Chin picked Joe up from his latest trip to Japan. The exchange left Steve even more upset with Joe for refusing to come clean on Shelburne.

Kono interrupted them. She was looking for clues on Emily's laptop and discovered who received the money from Emily. Karen Sargent needed it to pay a blackmailer who had a tape of Karen having sex with an older man. Through the miracle of electronics, Danny and Lori chased down the likely partner in sex; it was the headmaster, Rick Summers.

As Steve and Danny walked in to interrogate Summers, Steve wasn't sure that he could keep his temper under control. It was reprehensible that a man in such a trusted position would betray that trust by having sex with one of the students. Karen was old enough to consent to sex, but Summers wouldn't go unscathed. Steve would at least make sure the school trustees were informed of their findings. He would certainly lose his job.

Steve wanted to discuss the issue further, but he received a call from HPD. Joe was being questioned concerning Hiro Noshimuri's disappearance and possible murder. Steve and Joe had another very unsatisfactory exchange concerning Shelburne. Steve's bad day was getting worse by the minute.

Charlie Fong was able to pinpoint the source of the tape. Kono was shocked to discover that a virus would allow a computer's webcam to capture whatever took place within view. The next step would be to find the origin of the virus. Charlie pointed Kono to one of the school's common use computers. Lori and Kono found the blackmailer there. Unwittingly, he had captured footage of Emily's death.

In an unlikely turn of events, the killer was a professional assassin. Joe, who accompanied Steve back to HQ, was able to fill in the gaps on the killer. Michael Angelico had already left the country, and there was little possibility of tracking him down. Steve and Danny checked with Mr. Winter to see if he could identify the killer. That's when they learned he had been on jury duty.

It didn't take long to determine that Emily was murdered to get her father off jury duty. The stand-by juror was being bribed to avoid a finding for the plaintiff. Steve and Danny hoped that Lori and the governor didn't discover how Steve got his confession out of him.

Steve and Danny were relieved to pick Grace up only a little later than usual. They had to sacrifice their Sunday to the case and worried how Grace would handle spending part of her weekend with Emelina and Ali. Emelina was such a blessing in their lives; she took Grace to a family birthday celebration where Grace was treated as a special guest. Danny would have been upset that Grace didn't miss them, except he was so damn happy to see her excited about the party.

Danny was feeling the weight of mostly full-time custody of Grace. Her disastrous week with Stan and Rachel meant that Grace would be staying with Steve and Danny indefinitely. He was thrilled to know that she slept just down the hall every night, and he no longer had to wait for a phone call to wish his Grace a good morning. But Danny always worried whether he was giving Grace what she needed.

Danny pulled some soup out of the freezer and prepared to make grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the soup. He realized that soup and sandwich had become comfort food for him too. Steve was sitting at the kitchen table with Grace, checking her homework and listening to her spelling words. The knot around Danny's heart loosened a little. How could he forget that Steve was in this with him? Steve was explaining one of the questions on Grace's science worksheet. Grace was hanging on every word. It was hard to reconcile the man who threatened to throw a man over the side of a cliff with the smiling daddy teaching his daughter about the miracle of photosynthesis.

Later, they sat by the beach with a bottle of beer. Steve was appalled by his discoveries at the school. A student and the headmaster who were sexually involved were bad enough. Another trusted student who created a virus to spy on unsuspecting students and blackmail those caught in the act was even worse.

Steve called a friend (another former SEAL) who specialized in computer security for assistance. His friend agreed to put together a presentation about some little known dangers posed by hackers. Steve planned to speak to the governor to see if the promised video could be distributed to all schools on the island for mandatory viewing. Kids had a habit of leaving their laptops and tablets on and open. They needed to know that they were inviting strangers into their homes and bedrooms by doing so.

He also wanted a law to make any sexual conduct between a high school student, regardless of age, and school staff illegal. Although many 17 or 18 year olds are mature enough to make certain decisions, many others needed protection from those who have authority over them. There are certain people who hold positions of trust: doctors, teachers, clerics, and police to name a few. Just as Steve, as a member of the U. S. Navy, was held to a higher standard of conduct, those in positions of trust should be expected to maintain certain standards.

Danny interrupted Steve's thoughts. "Was it me, or did you want to kill Summers?"

"Nope, it wasn't just you. I can promise you that he will never work in a school again. I'm not sure that the girl's father isn't going after him. And that punk who created the virus to spy on the other kids is going to spend some time locked up. I talked to the D.A. about some serious charges. Blackmail will be the least of his problems. I wish we could something about Emily's boyfriend." Steve wished it wasn't dark; he could use a swim. He was really upset about most everything their investigation turned up.

"You're going to be very scary when Grace starts dating, aren't you?" Danny knew that Grace was on Steve's mind. They both thought about her a lot the last two days.

"Let's just say that none of her boyfriends will ever think about taking advantage of her. Go ahead and call me a Neanderthal if you want to." Steve would never apologize for looking after Grace.

"Don't expect any argument from me. I'll be standing right there with you. That won't be enough, you know. She spends more time with the kids at school than she does with us. It will get worse as she gets older. We need to prepare her for what lies ahead without scaring the hell out of her. I don't want her to be distrustful of everyone, but I don't want some asshole taking advantage of her sweet nature." Danny understood Steve's fondness for hand grenades and other things that explode. He would have enjoyed blowing up something big tonight.

They sat outside, trying to find some peace. Finally, Steve stood and held out his hand to Danny. Danny took Steve's hand and went inside with his partner. Once in their bedroom, they turned to each other for comfort. Steve was very gentle tonight despite the turmoil inside him. Danny needed Steve too.

Their life was no fairy. They wouldn't live happily ever after. They had a daughter to raise in a world where mean girls ruled the school halls and predators of all kinds lurked at every turn. They had the islands to keep safe for Grace and all the other citizens. But they would work through it together. And at the end of the day, they could turn to each other for comfort. And tonight, they would find release together.

In the morning, Steve and Danny confronted the men behind Emily's murder. Money was the motive. The suit died despite Steve's effort to pull him to safety, but the hardhat was sitting in jail. They spent the remained of the day on paperwork.

Steve went to Joe's apartment on the way home while Danny picked Grace up. He was disturbed to find Joe's phone on the floor and his keys in the door to his apartment. He had a sinking feeling where he would find Joe.

Once upon a time, Steve would have stormed over to Adam Noshimuri's home to rescue Joe with guns blazing. Since his ill-fated raid on the Governor's mansion last spring, Steve acted with more caution. Steve made a call to Chin and Kono before going home to Danny and Grace.

While Grace was upstairs taking her shower, Steve and Danny had a conference call with Chin and Kono. It was agreed that Lori was out of this, although no one had a concrete reason for it. Although Danny argued against it, it was agreed that he would stay with Grace. She needed protection too. With Chin and Kono providing backup out of sight, Steve went in to get Joe. If he did not emerge within the next five minutes or signal them, they would go in after calling HPD for backup. If he came out, then they would follow at a discrete distance to make sure he reached home safely.

Steve was able to bring Joe out despite the beating that Joe had received. Steve was furious. Joe had put himself in this position when he snatched Hiro Noshimuri at gunpoint. He wanted the truth from Joe. As Steve pointed out, he was tortured and Jenna Kaye was killed because Wo Fat demanded to know the truth about Shelburne. It was time for Steve to know the truth. Steve needed to get on with his life

When Joe revealed that he helped the elder Noshimuri fake his death, it was the last straw for Steve. Joe got out of Steve's truck rather than face any more questions. Chin called later to say that Joe reached safety, at least for tonight.

Danny was relieved to see Steve pull up in the driveway. He was reading with Grace on the couch so he could keep an eye on the front of the house. When Steve came in a few minutes later, he was smiling. Danny knew it was to fool Grace, because it certainly didn't fool Danny. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Steve gave his reply some thought. "Yes, but it's still not what I wanted. Tomorrow's another day." Steve rolled his shoulders, trying to release some of the tension. He went upstairs to shower of some of the grime of the day. Steve wanted to go for a run, but he knew it would be dangerous to run in the dark after raiding the home of the Yakuza. Instead, he settled for two fingers of single barrel bourbon and story time with Grace.

Danny brought Grace upstairs to finish her story in their bedroom. Danny opted for a shower so Steve could have some time alone with Grace. He went downstairs to pack lunches so that Grace could finish the story tonight. Steve concentrated on the words on the page and the sturdy warm little body next to his. He was swamped with feelings of love and a need to keep this little person next to him safe. By the time that Danny came back upstairs to remind Grace it was her bedtime, Steve was a little more relaxed. They tucked Grace in bed and went back to their room.

Steve gave Danny a detailed report of his excursion into Yakuza territory and the conversation with Joe in the truck. He was careful to give just the facts without letting his emotions enter into the report. "Danny, I think something will have to break soon. I just hope Joe survives, and that none of our family suffers any more from it. Wo Fat has hurt enough of my family."

Steve and Danny read for a while before turning the light off. The case and his latest skirmish with the Yakuza left Steve weary to his bones. Danny held him that night, to comfort him as much as to keep him in bed. Danny knew that Steve was exerting every ounce of self-control to stay with his family tonight instead of confronting Joe. Sometimes, Danny wished he worked a routine 9-5. It would be nice if his partner's biggest problem was paying the mortgage or getting his next promotion. It was the life he chose, both with 5-0 and with Steve. And he would choose it all over again if asked. He would always choose Steve.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Wednesday brought no resolution to Steve's issues with Joe. Steve was called to the base to participate in some training. He had missed his reserve hours in December because he was recovering from his ordeal in North Korea. Baring any major cases at 5-0 this week, Steve would be on base for the remainder of the week.

Danny was in court testifying on one of their old cases. Danny was one of the few officers who didn't mind court duty. He liked knowing how their cases end, and he really liked it when he helped put the bad guys away. Surprisingly, Danny kept his cool on the witness stand. He was very articulate, and with his logical mind, he was able to point how the clues led to the perpetrator. Plus, all the time he spent verbally sparring with Steve sharpened his speaking skills.

Lori had been successful in securing additional funding for 5-0 through a couple of grants, one from the feds and the other from a private foundation. The money wasn't a lot, but it prevented further budget cuts to their department and allowed for some new equipment. Lori was working on a couple of new grants, but she wasn't hopeful that either would come through.

Chin was working with their systems support department to upgrade this virus protection. The upgraded software caused problems with some of their other software, so he spent the day trying to get everything working properly again.

Kono was stuck doing an inventory of their weapons and ammunition. It was a really boring job that always fell to the low man on the totem pole, or the low woman in her case. She was covered in dust and grime at the end of the day.

Even Max was having a bad week. A nasty car crash had wiped out an entire family, and he would be in autopsy all day. Sometimes, he hated his job.

As Steve drove home from the base on Thursday, he realized how much he missed being with his team while he satisfied his reserve requirements. Danny was already home fixing supper; Grace was visiting her mother and wouldn't be home until after dinner.

"Honey, I'm home." Steve couldn't resist the traditional greeting.

Danny smirked and came out of the kitchen to greet Steve. "How was your day dear?" He gave Steve a wifely peck on the cheek.

"It was routine. Where are the children?" Steve kind of like this little game they were playing.

"Grace is eating with the Edward's tonight. Mr. Edwards will drop her off later. Did you play nice with all the other SEALs?" Danny spent years watching 'Leave it to Beaver' and 'The Brady Bunch'. He could go on for hours if Steve played along.

"Yes, mom. I shared my lunch and let the younger kids play on the monkey bars. What's for supper?"

"I just put a chicken and broccoli casserole in the oven. It needs to bake for about 45 minutes. Did you want to get your shower before supper?" Danny was walking toward the kitchen when Steve stopped him.

"Let's recap, shall we? Grace is with Rachel so we're all alone, and supper won't be ready for a while. I can think of a couple of things I'd like to do before supper, and a shower is only one of them." Steve walked Danny back to the couch and pushed him down. When Steve pulled his shirt off, Danny finally got a clue.

"I bet I can name the other thing in two notes." Danny start to pull his clothes off, but Steve was way ahead of him.

"Let me help you Danno." Steve stilled Danny's hands and unbuckled Danny's belt. In one smooth pull, the belt was through all the loops. The hook and zipper on Danny's trousers came next. Steve's hand snaked inside Danny's boxers even as his mouth was sucking on the tender spot behind Danny's ear.

It was a duel between them so see who could drive the other over the edge first. Because of his weight and height advantage, Steve could have won this particular contest. Steve didn't want to win that way; in fact, he wasn't sure that he wanted to win at all. It was just that he had a really crappy week, and he wanted to play with Danny for a while. Danny must have sensed Steve's indecision because he went in for the kill. Steve made sure that Danny found his release too.

"Do you suppose Ward and June ever did this while Wally and the Beaver were over at their friends' houses?" Danny was both surprised and amused at the turn of events. Whatever else he expected when Steve walked in the door, this was not it.

"Wally and who?" Steve was a little confused. His childhood taste in TV ran to 'Combat' and westerns.

"Never mind, it's not important. Can I interest you in a mutual shower while you tell me what's on your mind?" Danny could read Steve like a book, and he knew that Steve wanted to ask or tell him something before they were diverted.

After they gathered up all the articles of clothing, which took a while because Steve couldn't find his last sock, Steve and Danny made it to the shower. Under the hot stream of water, Steve just vented his frustrations. As much as anything, it was the post-holiday blues. They had such a wonderful vacation from all their responsibilities, and now everything just sucked.

"I was thinking a cookout for Saturday might be a good idea. We could play a little volleyball and have a little fun. It's been a while since we've done that. What do you think?" Steve wouldn't push it if Danny wanted to do something else. It was always a lot of work when they had the gang over.

"I think you've got a great idea. I'll talk to the team tomorrow and see who's free. I'm pretty sure that Max and Lori won't have other plans. If we plan it mid-afternoon with food around five o'clock, anyone who has big Saturday night plans could to do both." Danny liked the idea. No one had a good week, and at least this would give them a chance to end it well. "I hate to ask, but are you doing to ask Joe?"

Steve had to think about that question. His relationship with Joe was a minefield. One false step and somebody was going to get hurt. "I don't think that would be very helpful. I think I need to give Joe a little space for now. I hate to say it, but I would prefer not to have him over here around Grace until the situation with Adam Noshimuri and the Yakuza is resolved."

Danny sighed; he agreed with Steve and hated that the man who had helped save Steve twice was now someone they couldn't trust. "Okay, is it okay if we include Charlie Fong if Kono wants to bring him along?"

"Sure, Charlie works with us and Kono seems fond of him. He's been around enough to feel like he's part of the team. I know he was really worried about Kono before she was reinstated. It will be her call; she's not shy about asking if she wants him here. Besides, Chin will bring Malia if he comes and if she is available." Steve thought it had been easier before they started to have personal lives.

They took their supper and beers out to the lanai. It was a nice way to end the day. Danny filled Steve on his day in court. Steve described his day at the base. He had picked up some interesting intel about some subversives who might decide to take temporary refuge on their island. The brass on the base was hoping that 5-0 might be able to give them a lead.

"You know, this is different." Danny motioned between the two of them. "We're usually together, so it's kind of nice to share what happened today like this, over some chicken and a beer. Not that I didn't miss you, because I did."

"I missed you and the rest of the team. I like training on the base okay; I enjoy the physical fitness training a lot. It's just not the same. I'm used to seeing you during the day. And I don't have the same connection with the guys that I have with you." Steve didn't mean to get into a discussion about his feelings, but it just kind of spilled out.

"You'd better not have the same connection we just had with anyone else. I'm very territorial about my partner, and I don't like to share." Danny's hands were waving even more than before. He had behaved well at the courthouse and was ready to blow off some steam.

Steve shook his head and smiled his goofy grin. He loved Danny so much it hurt sometimes. Steve grabbed the hand with the band and kissed it. "Danny, I didn't mean that kind connection. Why would I want anyone else after I've had you?"

Danny interrupted Steve with a smug grin on his face. "Technically babe, I had you tonight."

That earned another kiss from Steve. "See what I mean. What I was trying to say is that I used to be very in tune with my team. We spent most of our time together unless we were on leave. That doesn't interest me anymore. I'm happy with 5-0 and at home with you and Grace. And speaking of our darling daughter, I think she's home." Steve heard the car in the driveway and went in unlock the front door; Danny was trailing right behind him.

Stan looked a little less harried than the last time they saw him. Grace had a nice dinner with Stan and her mother, and now she was happy to be home with her dads. Steve was happy to accept his hug and passed her over to Danny. Stan didn't stay long; he was worried about leaving Rachel by herself for long.

Grace sat on the lanai with the men and reported on her day. One of the other kids was moving after this week and they had a going away party this afternoon. She got an 'A' on her spelling test, and an 'A-' on her science test. She would have earned a 'B', but she earned extra credit for her brilliant explanation of photosynthesis. Steve gave her a high five when he heard this news.

When Grace went upstairs to take her shower, Steve realized that he was having a really great evening. His vague feeling of dissatisfaction was gone; sex on the couch with Danny chased that away. Since Grace was with them full-time, her periodic visits with Rachel gave them a nice respite. Sometimes they went out for a nice meal together. Sometimes they engaged in a little physical activity. Steve didn't know ahead of time that Grace wouldn't be home earlier, so today was a nice little bonus.

The rest of the evening was routine; Steve decided that he liked it that way. He loved reading with Danny and Grace in the evening. They watched reruns on TV Land for a while before going up to bed. Steve was a little sore from his fitness training today, so Danny gave him a little back rub. Danny's knee was bothering him again, so Steve helped him with a little physical therapy. They knew that Danny would eventually need surgery, but Steve did his best to push that time off by helping Danny maximize the function he retained.

Danny watched as Steve eventually wound down enough to sleep. He could tell that Steve was vaguely dissatisfied for some reason when he first came home, and he was pleased to see that Steve looked very contented as he slept. They were settling into a nice rhythm together. Grace seemed happy with their arrangement with Rachel and Stan. She usually went over for dinner a couple of times during the week and for an afternoon over the weekend if Rachel was feeling well enough.

Danny thought ahead to the weekend. He hoped that their 5-0 family would be able to make it over on Saturday. They could use some fun in the sun together. Steve took his responsibilities as the head of 5-0 seriously, and Danny knew that Steve planned Saturday for the team's sake as well as his own. Steve turned on his side, allowing Danny to spoon behind him. Playing big spoon to Steve always made Danny smile; he remembered the first morning they woke up together. So much had happened since then. Danny's last thought before he dropped off to sleep was to wonder what 2012 would bring next.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Danny called a brief staff meeting first thing on Friday to status what each person was working on. Lori needed a break from her grant writing and offered to help Kono finish the inventory. Chin was happy to report that their systems update was complete and nothing else was broken. Danny issued the invitation for the cookout at the McGarrett-Williams residence. Danny realized that it was the first time that he invited guests to their home, although technically the 5-0 team is family. It gave him a thrill to realize that he was a homeowner again.

Danny thought back to the discussion he had with Steve last month. It took place a couple of days after Steve showed Danny his bank balances and portfolio. Although not wealthy by any means, Steve was financially very comfortable. Danny initiated a second conversation on the same subject later the same week concerning a pre-nuptial agreement, or the equivalent since they weren't technically getting married. Steve patiently listened to Danny's position and gave him a resounding "no".

When Danny started to protest, Steve held up his hand to stop the argument that he knew was coming. "Danny, I listened to you. Please listen to me now. I know that you don't want a damn thing from me financially. I never worry that you would try to take money or this home from me. First, I want this to be for keeps. If it doesn't work out, this house and the money will mean nothing to me. Secondly, anything you would accept would be for Grace. She's my daughter too now. I would adopt her if I could, but she already has two wonderful parents. So at least accept that any settlement would be for Grace."

Steve paused to see if Danny accepted his line of reasoning. Danny considered Steve's point of view. He finally raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, I'll let it go. You know it's only because of Grace."

Steve wanted to press his point. "Danny, it's because of you too. I don't intend to let you go now that you're in our home and in our bed. Danny, I'm going to add you to the house title too. That would mean that Grace will always have a place here. I've already changed my will so my estate goes to you or to Grace if something happens to both of us. I want this to be our home, in every sense. You're already paying into the account we use for household expenses, including repairs and improvements. The taxes and insurance will also be paid out of the account. Danny, it's really important to me."

Danny weighed Steve's desire to share the link to his childhood against his pride. He would never have anything to give to Steve that was as important. Steve must have sensed where Danny's mind would go.

"Danny, before you start weighing financials and what we bring to the table, you need to remember that you're sharing Grace with me. This house and property, it's just real estate. Grace is this wonderful little person who makes every day better just by being here. Let me share too." Steve sat back and waited. He could tell the instant Danny gave up his objections.

"You don't play fair. You played the Grace card on me. You know Grace trumps all the other cards." Danny pulled Steve in for a hug. He knew that they each brought more to the table than that. They complemented each other very well. Steve spent money freely because for the first time, he had a family to spend money on. Danny tended to be frugal they way his parents raised him.

Danny was better at keeping the household running smoothly and definitely better at grocery shopping. Steve would load up the cart with all the staples and forget the items that they occasionally needed. The result was three boxes of oatmeal in the pantry, but no wheat germ for granola bars. It was Danny that made up the shopping list and kept one posted near the fridge so they could check what was needed as they went along.

Steve was better at helping Grace with her homework. Danny supposed that it was because Steve loved learning and he had an infinitely curious mind. With Steve's ADD tendencies, it was easy for him to get caught up in some minutiae. Grace learned early on that if she needed a concise answer, Danny was her man. With Danny, it was the Cliff Notes' version. With Steve, it was 'War and Peace', and the unabridged version at that.

Danny's musings were interrupted by a call from Steve. Danny was happy to report that Kono and Lori would be coming by their house tomorrow. Chin needed to check with Malia; Danny was on his way to the morgue to invite Max. Danny wasn't sure if Max had forgiven them for blowing off his movie nights, but he hoped Max would come over. Max had notably come out of his shell since patching Steve up from his prison wound, and Danny enjoyed his company.

As it turned out, Max was delighted to accept the invitation especially when Danny reported that Lori would be there. Steve and Danny watched the Max-Lori matchup with great amusement. They weren't sure that Lori was attracted to Max, but Max somehow managed to snare her interest on a regular basis. Danny supposed that some thought the same of his union with Steve. Who would have thought that two previously straight men would make such a fantastic couple?

As expected, Kono stopped Danny on the way back to his office and asked if she could invite Charlie. What was unexpected was the little speech she gave about how she just enjoyed Charlie's company and thought he fit in well with the group. Danny rolled his eyes and assured her that no one thought anything of it. Then he resolved to keep an eye on the couple. After all, you have to take your fun where you can get it.

Danny was relieved when the end of shift rolled around. They had made it through another week without any monumental screw-ups. No one was in the hospital or in jail. There had been no angry phone calls from the governor. And as a bonus, he actually got to drive the Camaro to pick up Grace. Steve called him on the way to find out the final tally on their party. Danny reported that everyone would be there, although Chin would be a little late because he wanted to wait on Malia.

Danny couldn't resist poking at Steve a little. "You know, it's worked out pretty well. We now have a doctor, a medical examiner, and a lab tech attending our little soiree. Should anyone become injured or worse, at least we have the right people on the scene."

Steve wanted to protest that no one was ever injured at one of his beach parties, but a jelly fish sting and a few sprained ankles made it difficult to do so in earnest. Besides, he was in the driveway and had better things to do than talk on the phone. He needed food.

Danny and Grace were already upstairs when Steve came in. He almost called out, "Honey, I'm home," but he remembered how that ended yesterday. As much fun as yesterday was, he didn't think it would work with Grace in the house.

Steve could hear a heated discussion going on in Grace's room. He stood in the hall long enough to get the gist of the conversation. Grace had agreed to spend the afternoon with Rachel and Stan tomorrow. It was set up during yesterday's visit, and Steve was unaware of this when he planned the cookout for tomorrow.

Grace was not happy to discover that her dads were having a party without her. She insisted that she should stay home and play on the beach with Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono and Dr. Max. Danny refused to consider it. "Grace, some of your mom's friends are throwing a baby shower at her house. Your mother wants you to come. It will be for women only, so that must mean that your mom thinks you're grown up enough to be included. Your mother will be very upset if you aren't there. Besides, you said you would be there."

"But Danno, I want to stay here with you and Daddy. I always have a lot of fun at the cookouts; there will be nothing for me to do except listen to everyone ooh over the baby stuff and tell me how lucky I am to get a new baby brother or sister. I don't feel lucky. I just want everything to be the way it was." Grace was in full Danny-rant mode, something Steve hadn't seen before.

Steve stepped into the bedroom. "What part do you want back, Grace? Do you want the part where Danno lived in that crappy apartment and only saw you a few days a month? How about when I lived here alone and there was no one to tuck me in when I was sick? Or is it the part where you all lived in New Jersey and your mom and dad were miserable in their marriage? You don't want to live here anymore, in Hawaii, or in our home?"

Steve was hurt, although he knew that Grace's problem was that she didn't want another baby in the family. Danny hadn't realized that Steve was eavesdropping, and he wasn't sure how Steve was going to handle the problem.

Grace knew that she went too far. "No, I love living here with you and Danno. That's why I don't want to go to Mommy's house tomorrow. You can't make me go." Grace stomped her foot for emphasis.

Danny was interested what Steve would do next. He nodded his head to let Steve know he had the lead. Steve gave the matter some thought and decided to give Grace some options. "You're right, Grace; we can't make you go. We certainly wouldn't take you there if you're going to ruin her party. If you stay home, you'll have to spend the day in your room. You'll eat your meals in your room and can only leave to use the bathroom."

Steve waited for that to sink in. "Your other option is to go to the party at your mom's and come here after and play with us on the beach then." Steve was dying for a shower, but he would not show it in front of Grace. He gave her his best Navy SEAL glare and waited for her answer.

"I'll go to Mommy's tomorrow, but I'm not happy about it." Grace was determined not to enjoy her time with Rachel tomorrow.

Danny stepped in to back Steve up. "That's a good decision. And we'd better not hear that you were rude either. I think you should stay in your room for a little while until we decide what we're doing for supper tonight."

That made Grace unhappier. "Fine, I'll just sit here while you decide my life!" She slumped in her chair and kicked the desk.

Steve spun the chair around before Grace knew what was happening, causing her to kick Steve in the shin. The pain was immediate and sharp. Steve closed his eyes and counted to ten. It didn't help much.

Grace knew she was in big trouble now, but she refused to apologize. One of the kids in her class teased her about having two daddies. The only reason she didn't get in a fight on the playground was that Ali held her back. She was in the mood for a fight and now she had one.

Steve decided a strategic retreat was in order. He didn't want to decide what to do next when he was this angry, and he needed to consult with Danny so they could present a united front. "That's enough! You will sit here until Danno and I come back. You can use the time to work on your attitude."

Steve was happy to finally shuck off his camouflage gear. He took a shower to wash away the day's dirt. His day was spent crawling on the ground and climbing hills. Now he had a war brewing on the home front. Danny was waiting for him when he came out of the shower.

"Sorry about that babe. How's your leg?" Danny checked Steve over to see if he picked up any other scrapes or bruises during his training.

"I'll live. Was Grace okay when you picked her up? She's usually not like this."

"She was all smiles and excited about the team coming over tomorrow. When I reminded her about the deal at Rachel's, she didn't say much. It wasn't until we got home that she told me that she changed her mind about Rachel's shower and would stay here with us. That's when you came in." Danny took a deep breath before he delivered the next bombshell.

"There's more. Emelina stopped me before I went in the back yard to get Grace. She's noticed that both Grace and Ali are showing early signs of puberty. She warned me about mood swings, which I think we just saw, and that someone will need to take Grace shopping for necessary undergarments soon." Danny ran a little movie in his head where he was in the lingerie department of Macy's picking out training bras. He shuddered at the thought.

"Please tell me it can wait until Rachel is back on her feet." Steve did not want to go there, ever.

"I thought that I would drop Grace off at Rachel's house myself and talk to her about it. Emelina is planning to take shopping Ali next weekend and offered to help out with Grace. I think that Rachel would like to do the honors herself, but that will mean that Grace has to wait. I don't want to add to Rachel's stress level now, so I think we should let Rachel decide."

"How long before we have to deal with the other thing?" Steve was oddly embarrassed to have this conversation with Danny.

"You mean her period, Steven? You can say it, you know. Emelina thinks we could have another year or so, but we should be prepared."

"You mean we should buy some of the things with wings?" Steve just could not wrap his mind around the idea.

"Wing, no wings, I don't know what the deal is. We can only pray that Grace is with Rachel the first time it happens. Now, what should we do about Grace for her little tantrum tonight?"

"Unless she acts up at the shower tomorrow, maybe we could give her an earlier bedtime for the next week. Maybe half an hour earlier would be sufficient unless she's still copping an attitude."

"Yeah, I think that would work. It's just enough to be a pain in the ass for her without causing World War III every night. What do you want to do for supper?

"Since we're having the team over tomorrow, I think a run to the store is in order. I want to try Papa Joe's. Someone at the base told me they have great produce and meat, and there's a little bistro area where we can eat first. We can throw the cooler in the trunk to keep the cold stuff cold while we finish off the rest of the shopping."

That was one other thing Steve was good at. Danny might be a better shopper, but Steve great at finding fresh food. He always had a new place to try. Steve watched what he ate very carefully, and he was always on the prowl for the best cuts of meat or fish and premium produce. That was fine with Danny. His last cholesterol test came back with great results. His good cholesterol was up and his bad cholesterol was down. Although they ate out at least once or twice a week, it was still much less than when he lived a bachelor's existence. Even the bottle of beer they had with supper or after Grace went to bed was a lot less than Danny would drink on a lonely night or weekend.

Steve and Danny went in to find a contrite Grace. She apologized to Steve for kicking him and told him it was an accident. Steve accepted her apology and told her about the early bedtime. Grace was upset about the punishment but didn't argue.

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in the bistro at Papa Joe's. As he ate his supper, Danny had to agree that the food was first-rate. He was eating some sort of steak rollup; he wasn't sure what the chef had spread over the flank steak before he rolled it up and cut it into slices. It was cooked medium the way he liked it. It tasted like there were mushrooms and cheese mixed with some herbs or spices. Whatever it was, Danny thought they should buy some to fix at home.

Steve ordered a chicken dish in a wine sauce. It also had mushrooms, and the forkful that Steve fed to Danny was amazing. Grace had a kid-sized casserole of macaroni and cheese. Danny thought it was too simple a dish for an otherwise semi-fancy eatery. Then Danny got a taste of the macaroni. This was not the usual gummy macaroni with a reconstituted cheesy sauce. This was a bite of heaven.

By the time that Steve snagged a cart, they were all in a better mood. Unfortunately, just because they weren't hungry didn't mean that they only bought what they needed. Steve loaded the cart with pre-made entrees that just needed to be popped in the oven. He went crazy in the produce aisle. Danny started to put items back when he realized that they would use some of it tomorrow. As much as cops love their junk food, everyone loved fresh fruit.

Steve realized he overdid it only when the 'cold stuff' took up much of the trunk. They stopped by the house to unload their purchases before heading back to buy the non-perishables. Danny had Steve detour to the local Macy's first; Grace should bring a gift to the shower.

It was tough for Danny to do this; there was a time when Rachel was sure the baby was his. For those few days, Danny was a very happy man. If Danny was the father, then he would have eventually followed Rachel and Grace back to New Jersey. There would be no Steve and Danny McGarrett-Williams.

Steve had an idea what Danny was feeling. He put his hand on Danny's shoulder and squeezed it in support. "It's tough, isn't it? If the baby was yours, there would be no us. If Victor Hesse had not killed my father, there would be no us. If you and Rachel never divorced, there would be no us. It's hard knowing that something this wonderful happened only through such sadness."

Danny laid his head on Steve's shoulder. "Yeah, sometimes it's really hard. It's easier with you here." Danny wasn't sure what to buy. If Rachel knew the sex of the baby, he hadn't heard. Danny printed out Rachel's registry list and found the layette items she wanted for the nursery. Steve pointed to the fancy stroller on the list. "Maybe we could have it delivered from us next week. We're probably going to be honorary uncles or something. This baby will be Grace's sibling, and I expect we'll see him or her at the house periodically."

Danny could only nod. How complicated their family had become, and yet how simple too. Grace linked them all; there was enough ugliness in the world without bringing more into the family. Steve was way ahead of him. He had already figured out that there was no way they could exclude the new child from some of their activities. Steve knew and accepted it without a problem.

It was getting late by the time they made it to the supermarket. They made quick work of Danny's list and made it home only a little later than usual. Danny sent Grace up for her shower while Steve updated their checkbook. It was already past her adjusted bedtime. They made sure to give Grace her usual goodnight hugs. Although they were still upset about her tantrum, Steve and Danny loved Grace dearly.

When Danny started to get them a beer from the fridge, Steve stopped him. "Danny, I think we need the special bourbon tonight." Steve found a couple of nice glasses in the china cabinet and poured them both two fingers of bourbon.

They sat in silence by the beach and watched the waves come in. There was constancy in the tides that was somehow comforting to Steve and Danny tonight. They sat with their shoulders touching and held hands. Finally, Steve offered a toast with the last of his drink. "Here's to us Danno. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

"Even if it means buying maxi-pads at midnight at Wal-Mart because Grace has an emergency?" Danny didn't want to be the only one standing in the feminine supply aisle.

"Hell, we'll just buy one of everything." Steve laughed and clinked glasses with Danny. They downed their bourbon and went in for the night. Tomorrow had to be a better day.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Danny woke early on Saturday. He kept replaying the scene in Grace's room from yesterday afternoon. Grace was growing up and would be entering the new phase soon: puberty. Danny knew that he couldn't keep Grace a child forever, nor would he want to. But puberty brought on a new bunch of problems Danny wasn't ready to face. At least it would be easier since he was on much better terms with Rachel.

Danny thought back to the Sunday morning that Grace was sick. It had been quite a while since he helped Grace in the bathroom, but she needed assistance then. It was tricky business to be a father raising a little girl, and even more so when daddy's partner is another man. Danny had bathed and diapered Grace when she was a baby and thought nothing of it. Steve didn't have that history, so he usually deferred that kind of care to Danny.

Danny realized that Grace was showing changes last month. He made a mental note to research signs of puberty on the Internet. Danny needed to know what to expect next. He detected a shift on the bed and looked over to see a pair of hazel eyes staring at him intently.

Steve knew where Danny's mind was this morning. Danny was distracted enough last night when they went to bed that Steve didn't even offer the comfort of sex. Instead, he held Danny and softly instructed how to field strip an AK-47. The warmth of Steve's body and the mind-numbing information lulled Danny to sleep.

Steve knew that Danny would pick up where he left off last night. Steve had a more objective view of yesterday's events. Grace had thrown what amounted to a tantrum for the first time since she moved in with Danny. She was apologetic later but didn't have her usual meltdown. Grace always cried when she thought she let Steve down, but not this time. Steve thought that maybe Grace was more secure now with him, and that was a good thing.

"Danny, Grace will be okay. We have Rachel to help us through this, and I'm sure we can ask Emelina or even Malia or Kono if we run into something we can't handle. Nothing has really changed, you know. It's a gradual process, and we'll have time to adjust and get prepared as Grace goes from one phase to another." Even as he spoke, Steve massaged Danny's neck where the muscles were bunched tightly.

"I know. I just hate to see her grow up. She's been my little girl, my baby. Pretty soon, she'll have boys sniffing around, and you know how they are." Danny closed his eyes and shuddered.

Steve could feel the muscles tighten up again. Steve pulled Danny closer and whispered in his ear. "Danny, I think I can assure you that no boy will try any funny stuff with our daughter as long as she's living in this house."

For once, Danny was thrilled to have a part-Neanderthal, part-ninja partner. He was sure that most of the boys in Grace's school would pee in their pants if Steve looked at them the wrong way. He had a vision of the two of them playing their own version of good dad, bad dad, similar to the routine they had with suspects. The idea cheered Danny considerably.

Steve finally felt the tension leave Danny's body. "Now, could I interest you in a little other activity?" Steve's hand moved lower and to the front of Danny's body. Steve rolled them so he was on top. He wanted to make sure that he had Danny's full attention.

Frequently, they wrestled for control. Although Steve was the Alpha male, Danny was no less equal in their partnership. This morning, Danny was content to let Steve have his way. Danny was still a little tired, and he knew the value of letting Steve do this for him. Danny was so often the caretaker of the family, and it was wonderful to have Steve take care of him now.

After, Danny dozed for a bit. He realized this was the balance he had missed for so long. He had someone to share his problems with, and someone to provide comfort when he was overwhelmed by daily life. It was a mutual give and take. He took care of Steve too. They were a team, and Danny was grateful to have this wonderful man in his life.

After breakfast, Danny called Rachel and arranged to bring Grace over shortly after noon. The tea party/shower wouldn't start until one o'clock, so Danny would have time to talk to Rachel. She was looking a little tired but very lovely today. Rachel was excited about the shower this afternoon, and quite touched when Danny carried a large box very neatly gift-wrapped with a pair of baby booties attached to the bow. She imagined that some store did the wrapping, but it didn't matter. It was the thought that counted.

Danny explained the issue of training bras with Rachel, and she sighed. "Danny, I have some for her here. She's had them since last fall. Grace brought up the issue with me one day. She noticed that her body was changing. She lifted her shirt and pointed to her nipples and told me they were getting big. She also told me that some of her classmates were wearing bras, and they weren't even that big. We went to the mall the next day and bought enough so she could keep some at your place."

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head as he pictured the conversation. He couldn't help but laugh. "So why isn't she wearing them?"

"Grace finds them uncomfortable. No shock there! They are uncomfortable. We compromised on the issue for now. She wears a camisole to school because of the white uniform blouse. Otherwise, she's usually okay just as she is. Eventually, she'll get used to wearing a bra."

Danny was relieved to hear that. Thinking back, he realized that Grace was wearing the cotton camisoles more often than before. Now for the big question. "How long do you think we have before Grace has her first period?"

"It's hard to say. Normally, it's passed down from mother to daughter. I have my first period when I was not quite twelve. I read that girls are starting earlier these days, so it could be before then. We have some time. I haven't had the talk with Grace yet, but I will as soon as this little one makes his or her appearance and I have a chance to recuperate. She needs to know what's happening when it occurs. My mother didn't, and I thought I was going to bleed to death. I won't do that to Grace."

Danny found it embarrassing to have this discussion with Rachel even after what they had shared. He knew he had to get over it. If he showed embarrassment when Grace came to him because she needed supplies or her sheets needed laundering, it would be so much harder for Grace. He wasn't sure if Steve would be embarrassed or not. Steve had a lot more experience with women, and sometimes he could step back and be more objective than Danny.

"Can you give us some advice on what we need to buy when the time comes? We'll need to have stuff for her at the house."

"Of course, Danny. You and Steve had done such a marvelous job with Grace. I know Stan and I didn't provide a very good environment for her last summer, and it was not a great situation to go away for so long over the holidays. You could have easily turned her against us. I know the temptation; I didn't do so well with it. And now you're taking over again until I get back on my feet. I hate that I can't do more for Grace now, but it's not physically possible."

Danny could sense that tears were coming soon if he didn't so something quickly. "Rach, it's okay. It's great for us to have her like this. I'm part of a family again, and I wouldn't change that for anything."

Danny made it home just in time to help Steve finish up in the kitchen. He relayed the information to Steve as he prepared a fruit salad. Danny found he was embarrassed to discuss some of the details with Steve. Steve took it in stride. He did his own research the minute that Danny left with Grace. It was a little weird to think of Grace shaving her legs or suffering with cramps and PMS. On the other hand, a year ago it would have been weird to think about being with Danny. Life goes on and you can't stop it. You either roll with the punches or you get run over.

The afternoon was a huge success. The team was a little more raucous without a child in the area. They toned it down when Stan dropped Grace off. Grace happily ran upstairs to change into her swimsuit. Steve braided Grace's hair while Danny conferred with Stan. He wanted to make sure that Grace behaved at the shower.

Stan confessed that he hadn't stuck around for much of the afternoon, but both Grace and Rachel seemed happy enough when he came home. Stan had another issue he wanted to discuss with Danny. "Danny, I hate to bring this up but I think you and Steve should know. I overhead Grace tell Rachel that a couple of the kids are teasing her about you and Steve. Grace didn't want to tell you because she was afraid you would get mad and raise a fuss at the school. She thinks that would just make it worse. And I think she's afraid that it will hurt you. Rachel probably won't say anything unless it gets worse, but I think you should know. She was pretty upset when she came over one afternoon after school."

"So we're an embarrassment for her?" Danny had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"No, I don't think she's embarrassed at all. Some of her friends are a little jealous because you all do so much as a family. A lot of the rich kids hardly see their dads because they're working all the time. Damn, I was guilty of that until the last few months. The school doesn't tolerate bullying, and I think we should talk to her teacher to keep it to a minimum. Oh, and Rachel loved the baby gift from Grace. I know we have you and Steve to thank for that. Thanks for everything. I won't keep you from your friends."

Danny realized that Stan had not met most of the team. He insisted on walking Stan to the backyard to he could make the introductions. Stan didn't linger, leaving Danny to ponder the problem with Grace's classmates.

Grace was happy to be out of her party dress and in the water with Kono and Steve. Kono took her out on her surfboard to catch some waves before dinner. She was surprised by the women at the shower today. They weren't like her mommy's usual friends. Rachel had developed a few new friends from the church that she and Stan started attending while they were trying to patch up their marriage.

The ladies brought over little tea sandwiches and pastries, and they had a nice tea before Rachel opened the baby gifts. Her friends had not met Grace before, and they were impressed how well-behaved Grace was. They treated her like a special guest, and Grace found that she enjoyed her time there.

Steve made a point of talking to Grace that night after everyone went home. "Grace, did you behave yourself at your mom's today?"

"Yes Daddy. I didn't want to have a good time today, but the other ladies were very nice. I wouldn't have ruined the party for Mommy anyway."

Steve hugged her. "I know that Grace. I'm proud of you. Sometimes when you're mad, you say things. Then you're sorry later and it's hard to back down. It shows that you're growing up when you can admit that you're wrong. You still need to go to bed early though. It's hard for us to punish you like this because we like being with you. Try not to make us do this too often, okay?"

"I'll try. I miss you and Danno too. Do we have time to read tonight?"

"I think we can squeeze a chapter or two in. Danno's is in the shower. I need to get a shower before I sit on your bed. I've got saltwater on me. I'll see if I can hurry Danno up, and you guys can start without me."

So Steve and Danny had their story time with Grace. They had to stop early but at least the evening ended on a better note. Steve and Danny sat on the lanai drinking water to rehydrate from their day in the sun. Danny told Steve about his conversation with Stan. Steve shrugged at the news.

"Danny, I have to say that I expected this eventually. Kids can be cruel. We've been fortunate that our friends and family have been so accepting of our relationship. The news coverage sort of put the spotlight on us. We can talk to her teacher on Monday and see if she knows who the kid is. We can do a little research and see if the kid is hearing it at home and just repeating it at school."

"Steven, what is going on in your head? You wouldn't actually pull a kid into interrogation, would you?" Danny loved that Steve was so protective of Grace, but they would have to tread lightly.

"Of course not, Danny. But there are ways to find out what I want to know. Wherever the kid's getting it, there's no reason to spout it back at Grace. That's the point we need to make. Everyone has skeletons in the closet, something they're not proud of. We chose not to hide how we feel about each other. I'm not ashamed of what we have, and I won't have Grace suffer from it either." Steve would find out what he wanted to know, and the taunting would stop.

"Promise me you won't do anything without keeping me in the loop?"

"I promise, Danny." Steve reached out for Danny's hand and held it. They were slowly becoming more comfortable with PDA's in front of the team when they were here, but Steve couldn't touch Danny enough some days. This was one of those days. Eventually, Steve got frustrated because he wanted full body contact.

Danny was a little surprised when Steve suddenly pulled him up and led him inside. He thought they would go upstairs, but instead Steve opened the door to the garage. "Come on Danno. We'll just fool around a little. We just need a little privacy."

Danny remembered their last time in the Marquis. Danny had to sweet talk Steve into the back seat. Danny considered his response. "Okay, but don't call me a tease if I ask you to stop. I know how you boys like to talk, and I don't want to hear any of the other football players talking about whatever happens here."

Steve went in first and pulled Danny in after him. Without any preliminaries, he pushed Danny down on the seat and stretched out on top. He kissed Danny as his hands roamed freely. Steve took off his t-shirt and started to remove Danny's.

"Wait, what are you doing? We're just supposed to fool around a little. This seems kind of serious to me." Danny loved this part of the game where he tried to protect his virtue. He knew he had no chance, but he loved hearing Steve's smooth talk.

"It's just a shirt Danno. I love the friction of your chest against mine." Steve pushed Danny's hands away and smoothly pulled the shirt over Danny's head. Steve's hands were in motion again, and now he was using his thigh to create friction for Danny elsewhere. Danny was lost in the haze of pleasure and passion. When Steve unsnapped Danny's shorts, there was no protest. He had them both naked in minutes. Steve kept up the friction. He wanted full body contact and he had it now.

Danny remembered his part and knew he had little time left. Steve was everywhere, on top and around him. "Steve, we need to stop. Where are my clothes? We shouldn't be touching like this." Danny made a token effort to dislodge Steve, but Steve was ready for him.

"Danno, we've come too far now. I can't stop. Your body is so beautiful; it drives me crazy. I wish I could see you like this all the time." Steve had them close to the edge now. He wanted more time, but his self-control was gone. So was Danny's.

When Danny could finally speak, it was to state the obvious. "Babe, we've got to keep this car. Even if it never runs again, it would be worth it. We'll never need to worry about Viagra. We've got the Marquis."

Steve laughed and kissed Danny, this time with less urgency. "Danny, with you in my life, I don't think I'll ever need Viagra."

They didn't linger in the car for long. They needed another shower, and the air had turned cool. Steve set the alarm to make sure they were up in time for church. They hadn't attended services since Christmas Eve and wanted to get back in the habit. Saturday had been a better for them; Steve intended to make Sunday just as good.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve and Danny both slept in a little on Sunday morning. The alarm woke them, but neither was in a hurry to get up. Apparently, the alarm also woke Grace because she came in a few minutes later. As she scrambled up the bed, Danny realized that she probably would outgrow the habit soon, just as she would probably not crawl onto his lap much longer. It made him sad to think about it.

Steve noticed the Danny's mind was elsewhere, so he kept Grace occupied in a discussion for today's plans. They decided it might be nice to have something light for breakfast and go for brunch after church. It was something that Steve's parents would do occasionally when he was younger, and he always enjoyed it. He also planned to see if he could get Grace to tell them the name of the kids who were bothering her at school.

"Danno, are you with us? I asked if it was okay with you if we go out for brunch after church." Steve saw the look of sadness in Danny's eyes. It was gone in an instant, replaced by the smile Danny used to hide what he was thinking.

"That sounds good, babe. Do you have any place special in mind?"

Steve patiently repeated the conversation he had with Grace, and Danny agreed it was a good plan. They lingered in bed since they wouldn't need time for a full breakfast. They grabbed a granola bar on the way out and made it to church with time to spare.

Steve and Danny enjoyed the service as they had before. Several members of the congregation nodded to them as they walked out. The pastor greeted them again at the door. "Steve, Danny, it's good to see you here again. We've missed you. I hoped that you would come again. Congratulations to both of you. I read in the newspaper that you're officially partners now. Miss Grace, it's good to see you."

Steve realized that the pastor had given him the angle he needed to ask Grace about the incident at school. On the way to brunch, Steve casually told Grace about his visit from the reporter. He explained that although they kept their relationship private in the beginning, it was unfair to either of them to continue to do so when they wanted to make a lifetime commitment. "Grace, Danno and I aren't happy that we were mentioned in the newspaper. There are some people who have a problem with two men or two women being together. I remember how it was in school. Kids tease other kids about everything."

Danny knew where Steve was going with this. Steve was using his most charming and sympathetic voice, the one he used when was trying to pry answers from a reluctant witness. "That's right, Monkey. As you could guess, I was teased about my height." It pained Danny to admit it even though it was obvious.

"I was teased about being a nerd." That was painful for Steve too. At Danny's look of surprise, Steve shrugged. "I was a late bloomer, but I was always a good student. I was pretty good at most subjects, but my science projects were always… noteworthy. It wasn't until I went through a growth spurt in high school and I bulked up some for football that it stopped."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You were lucky. I'm still teased about my size, although the badge and the gun help a little."

Steve remembered the short jokes he made at Danny's expense and winced. "Danny, anyone who doesn't see the big man you are has a little mind. Anyway, Danno and I are worried that some of the kids at school might tease you about us now that it's public knowledge. Do you promise to talk to us if that happens?"

Danny liked Steve's approach. Rather than asking Grace if she had been teased, Steve asked if she would tell them if it happened. He waited to see how Grace would reply.

"Daddy, I don't want to get someone in trouble." Grace spoke so softly that Steve and Danny almost didn't hear her.

"Grace, you wouldn't get anyone in trouble. It just wouldn't be right for someone to give you a hard time for something you have no control over. Sometimes people give Danno and me a hard time about being together, and we handle it because it's our choice. You are not a fair target for small-minded people or kids. If one of the kids at school has a problem with us, then they should be able to tell us directly." Steve knew it was a sneaky approach, but he would not let Grace suffer if he could help it.

"Two boys at school are teasing me," was all that Grace said at first. She knew that Daddy wouldn't let it go and decided that she had to trust him. "Greg Pratt and his friend, Marty Young, say things when we're on the playground. Most of the kids are okay with you and Danno. A lot of the girls have a crush on you and Danno. Most of the boys think Daddy is a hero. They saw him when he surprised us at school in his uniform when he got back from his training. He looked really tough. I don't think Greg has a daddy. I think he's jealous because I have three. Marty just goes along with whatever Greg says."

Danny shook head in disbelief. This Greg kid was teasing Grace on the playground, and she figured out what his problem was. "It still hurts when he says things, doesn't it." Danny was very gentle in his prompting.

"I don't like what he says about you and Daddy. It makes me so mad, but I know it would be bad to get in a fight at school." Grace crossed her arms and bit her bottom lip, determined not to cry. She always loved school, but the teasing was getting worse every day.

"Grace, these boys sound like they're bullying you. There's a no-bullying policy at your school. These boys are probably bullying other kids too. Danno and I need to talk to your teacher to see if the school is aware of what is going on. Think of how some of the younger kids are feeling. Do you trust us?" Steve held his breath for her answer.

"Yes Daddy, I trust you and Danno. Promise you won't get mad when you talk to the teacher?" Grace heard Danno talk about Steve how scary he could be. She didn't want a big scene in her class.

"I promise that I won't get mad. Danno and I will talk to your teacher in the morning. She will notify the playground monitor to watch out for these kids. When they bully you or any other kids, they will be sent to the office. Grace, it's important to stop bullies early before they get worse. It will be okay." Steve watched her in the back seat. She wouldn't meet his eyes in the rear view mirror, but she nodded.

Grace was quiet at brunch, but she perked up when Steve told stories about when his family would go out for the brunch buffet. Mary had a habit of getting too much food, or she would order something new and find that she didn't like it. Steve would usually swap plates with Mary, so he learned to eat a lot of different dishes.

Danny watched in fascination. He couldn't reconcile this man with the stoic hard-nosed SEAL who pulled a gun on him at their first meeting. Steve was offering Grace a forkful of some seafood delicacy that Danny wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. She sniffed at it and took a small taste. Grace made a face, which made Steve laugh. Grace offered Steve a forkful of her chocolate chip waffle with whipped cream. Steve took a taste and made a face. Grace giggled at Steve's face and ate the rest of the bite.

At Steve's suggestion, they went home to change clothes before taking a trip to the Honolulu Zoo. Grace had a report due in a week on her favorite animal, and she wanted to do some research before she decided which animal was her favorite. They walked around most of the afternoon, stopping only for water and a snack. Grace finally pronounced that the gorillas were her favorite. She thought they looked very intelligent as they watched the visitors walk around.

Steve grilled fish for supper, a healthy meal after the splurge of brunch. They ate on the lanai as the sun set lower on the horizon. Danny thought back over the weekend. They had the tantrum from Grace on Friday, the conversation first with Rachel, and later with Stan on Saturday, and the information Steve gleaned from Grace this morning about the bullies at school.

Life was certainly not getting any easier, and Rachel had yet to give birth. He expected the blessed event would stir up even more emotions. Danny felt a pang of longing when he saw Rachel, not for the woman but for the baby she carried. He no longer wanted a life with Rachel, but he had such mixed feelings about another child. Danny loved Grace as much as a father could love his child, but he would have loved to have a son too. He knew that they had options if they wanted to add to their family, but he couldn't imagine bringing a baby into their household. They had their hands full with a ten year old daughter. It would be absolute chaos with a baby.

Later that night, Steve and Danny talked as they packed lunches for tomorrow. "Do you want to tell me where you were at supper? You looked like you were a million miles away." Steve knew that Danny had zoned out on them a couple of times today.

Grace was safely tucked in upstairs, so there was no danger she would overhead their conversation. Danny burped the lid of bowl holding a salad for their lunch tomorrow. He thought about what to say and opted for the truth. "I was thinking about the baby, Stan and Rachel's baby. I was remembering how I felt when I thought I was going to be a father again."

Steve turned to Danny and put his arm around him. "Danny, do you want to have another child?"

Danny sighed, choosing his words carefully. "Yes, and no." Steve's puzzlement at Danny's answer was easy to see. Danny plowed ahead with his explanation. "I thought about what it would be like to have another baby, and I remember what it was like with Grace. Rachel stayed home full-time for the first six months, and we hardly slept even then. It was worse when she went back to work. I cannot imagine going through that again. Seeing Rachel like that on Saturday just stirred up a lot of stuff I try not to think about."

Steve pulled Danny in for a hug. "Well, I imagine you will get an opportunity to hold this baby. I understand good babysitters are hard to find. You'll be Uncle Danny who gets to play with the happy baby and send the cranky baby home."

That merited a smile from Danny. "Steve, just humor me on this. I promise that I don't want to be with Rachel anymore. I was never this happy with her, even in the beginning. I don't regret being with you. I guess it's just because there was a time when I thought the baby was mine."

"Danny, it's really okay. You're entitled to how you feel. Just tell me if it gets to the point where you want to do something about it. We might not be set up for a newborn, but we could open our home to a child. We could adopt, or just take in a foster child at first. We could specify that we want a boy. It would be better if the child was older, maybe potty-trained, or even school age. Or we could volunteer for the Big Brother program. We have a lot of options. Don't feel like you have to settle for the status quo."

Steve's words were a comfort to Danny. He remembered one of his sisters talking about how hard it was to decide to only have two children. She opted for surgery immediately after her youngest was born because she knew the urge for another baby would hit when the youngest was a couple of years old. Danny knew how she felt.

When their chores were finished for the night, Steve pulled Danny upstairs. Steve knew other ways to comfort Danny. He started with a back rub that soon turned into a full body massage. When all the tension was gone from Danny's body, Steve very sweetly made love to him. It was a nice way to end their weekend.

Steve and Danny left earlier than usual on Monday to drop Grace off at school. They wanted a chance to talk to the teacher. On the way to Grace's classroom, Grace pointed out her tormentors. Steve calmly pulled his phone out, pretending to check a message. Instead, he snapped a couple of pictures of Greg and Marty.

The teacher was well aware that something was going on during recess that was upsetting to Grace. Steve explained who the bullies were and gave her an idea what the subject was. The teacher was very upset and promised that the staff would keep an eye on the situation. They dealt with bullies severely; the problem was getting the students to identify who they were.

On the way out of the school, Steve saw the two boys by a couple of younger kids. He couldn't help himself. Steve hooked the hem of his shirt around his badge and gun so they were visible. Steve and Danny quietly walked over to Greg and Marty and stood behind them; it didn't take long to deduce that the older boys were shaking down the younger boys for money.

The younger boys saw Steve and Danny walk up and froze. Greg and Marty weren't that smart. They continued with their demands, and threatened to find the younger boys on the playground if they didn't pay up. That was all Steve needed to hear.

"Detective Williams, doesn't that sound like extortion to you? Why don't you take the names of the victims while I interrogate the suspects?" Danny pulled the younger boys aside and did as Steve requested, staying close in case Steve got out of hand.

Normally, Steve would have gotten down to the boys' height to talk to them. This time, he was opting for intimidation. If anything, he stood taller. "Okay boys, what do you have to say for yourselves before I read you your Miranda rights?"

Marty turned pale, but Greg decided to cop an attitude. "We don't have to say anything. You don't have any authority here."

"Actually, I have authority on all of Hawaii's islands, and certainly in this school. Now march to the principal's office, and don't think about trying to run for it. I've chased down bigger punks than you. I know who you are." Greg was silent as they walked to the principal's office. All the kids turned to watch them. Danny was two steps behind with the names of the other boys.

The principal was not happy to have two law enforcement officers in her office, and even less so when she heard the story. "Commander McGarrett, surely you understand that it is improper for you to talk to these boys without parental permission."

"Yes ma'am, I understand. But Detective Williams and I both witnessed the attempted extortion. I believe these boys fit the description of bullies. According to what I read on your website, bullies aren't tolerated here. I have other reports about these boys, and I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg. What do you intend to do about it? Ma'am, they threatened beat up two first-graders on the playground. I'm sure if I contact their parents, I'll hear how those kids dread coming to school." Steve stood firm for Grace and for the other kids in the school. The problem was more than a couple of boys teasing a girl because she had two dads living together.

"The boys will remain in detention until I can verify the information. If your story checks out, we'll expel both boys. Is that satisfactory?" Steve was making the principal nervous now. Danny stood next to Steve, enjoying the show. Steve nodded his agreement, satisfied that this was the best he could hope for this morning. Steve asked to be kept up to date. He casually mentioned that he was ready file a report with HPD if necessary. He knew that would be a black eye for the school.

Steve and Danny were able to get to HQ only a few minutes late. Danny's only comment was, "I have to say that was the first time I ever enjoyed being in the principal's office."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Danny received a phone call on Monday afternoon, from Stan of all people. He was on his way to the airport to catch a flight to China. It was a matter of make the trip or lose his job. Although he was doing better financially, he couldn't afford to lose his job. He was able to make the mortgage payment, but he had to cut the household staff back. Stan was hoping to add a nanny when the new baby came.

"Danny, I hate to make this trip now, but Rachel has another 2-3 weeks before the baby is due. I have to go before the end of the month, so now is the best time. Can you keep an eye on Rachel? I know that I have no right to ask you, but I need to know that someone will check on her when the housekeeper goes home. The housekeeper will make sure that Rachel has dinner before she leaves at night." Stan was almost in a panic to know he'd be so far away from Rachel this late in her pregnancy.

"Slow down, Stan. Steve, Grace, and I won't let anything happen to Rachel. Do what you have to do and hurry back." Danny couldn't believe he was in this position. He had no alternative; Stan and Rachel were part of their extended family now.

Danny hung up the phone and sighed. That's all he needed was more responsibility. Steve was furiously typing on his laptop in his office when Danny walked to pass on the news. The more Danny thought about it, the more it upset him. Steve leaned back and let Danny rant until he ran out of steam. Finally, Danny looked at him expectantly. "Well, don't you have anything to say?"

Steve could tell that Danny wanted a fight, but he wasn't sure he wanted to become a target. "Danny, it sounds like Stan is caught between a rock and a hard place. I don't know that either of you have a choice. It would kill Grace if something happened to Rachel, and I know we would all be hurt if something happened to the baby. You're a really good man, so you're doing what needs to be done. I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

That took the wind out of Danny's sails. He didn't feel like such a fool for helping Stan and Rachel anymore. That's what really upset him; he felt foolish for helping his ex-wife and her new husband after all the crap they pulled on him.

"It sucks to be the good guy, doesn't it?" Steve softened his tone now. He ached to see Danny go through this. Sometimes he wished that Stan and Rachel would move away and leave Grace with them full-time, but he knew that wouldn't necessarily be the best thing for any of them.

Danny finally sat and cradled his head on his hand. "Yeah, I'm okay with it most of the time, but days like today get to me. We're stuck handling most of the problems. When I think about all the times I was supposed to get Grace and Rachel jerked me around, I'm still furious."

Steve stood and walked around to stand in front of Danny. "Danny, you were one angry man when I met you. You hated everybody and everything, except for Grace. You don't want to be that person again. It's too much baggage for anyone to carry all the time. It's wasn't fair then, and it's not fair now. But you've got Grace now; she's been with us more than half of the time since May, and we've had her all of the time since the middle of November. It helps that anger isn't eating a hole in your stomach anymore, and you sleep soundly at night."

Danny let Steve's words wash over him. Steve was right. He had a crappy life, but it's much better now. He smiled when he thought about how much better he was sleeping. "Well, it helps that my partner relieves all my sexual frustration too."

"Well, I aim to please, Danno." Steve flashed Danny a sexy grin. Danny was hit with a wave of lust. So much for keeping it out of the workplace. Sometimes when Steve walked in the room, it would hit Danny how hot his partner was. Sometimes, he had trouble believing that Steve would want to be with him. He had so much to lose in the beginning, even with the repeal of DADT.

"I am pleased to report that your aim is excellent, Steven. Thanks for listening. I guess I just needed to vent. What were you working on when I came in? You looked like you were really getting into it, whatever it was."

Steve shrugged, hoping that Danny wouldn't push it. "I was on my way to talk to you when I saw you were on the phone. The principal from Grace's school called. Greg Pratt has been expelled from school. Once the kids saw them do the perp walk this morning, they couldn't wait to tell the teachers their own tales of woe. Apparently, he was expelled from public school last year, and his mother enrolled him in a private school rather than enrolling him in the alternative school."

"So what were you doing when I came in?" Danny knew Steve was being evasive.

"I was reading Pratt's sealed juvie record. Believe me, we don't want this kid anywhere near Grace."

"Steven, they seal those records for a reason. What about the other kid, Marty something?" Danny decided to give Steve a pass on the sealed file, mostly because Danny wished that he had thought of it first.

"Marty has been put on detention for the next month. His parents were called to the school, and they know that any further problems will lead to his expulsion. The principal thought that Greg was the real problem; Marty was just a sheep following his lead. The staff backed up her assessment. We'll let it go for now, but we should let Grace know what happened. She needs to know that Pratt was kicked out because he bullied a lot of kids and even beat up on a few." Steve didn't want Grace to think that he had broken his promise. He didn't want to lose her trust.

On the contrary, Grace was very excited when Steve and Danny came to pick her up. Both Grace and Ali ran to give them a hug. "Daddy, all the kids were talking about how you and Danno arrested Greg and Marty and took them to the principal's office. We had an assembly this afternoon, and the principal talked to us about bullying. She told us that Greg wouldn't go to our school anymore. We heard that Marty has detention for the rest of the year."

Steve put his hand up to stop Grace. "Grace, Danno and I didn't arrest Greg and Marty. I heard them threaten a couple of the smaller kids. That's when I told them to go to the principal's office. Danno and I told her what was going on, and she said she would check with some of the other kids to see if they were threatened too. I guess once the kids knew that they had nothing to fear, they felt safe enough to tell the teachers what was happening. And for the record, Marty only has detention for a month. The principal thought that he was getting into trouble because of Greg. They hope he will behave himself now that Greg is gone."

Steve and Danny both received a kiss on the cheek from Grace and Ali. "Thank you for helping. All the kids said to thank you." Steve thought it was the nicest reward he had ever received. Danny thought about his earlier words. Yeah, he might get stuck with the problems, but he got this in return. It was more than worth it. He wouldn't trade his life for anything.

They celebrated by playing in the surf until the sun went down. Danny popped one of the entrees from Papa Joe's in the oven to bake while they took their shower. Steve packed lunches while Danny helped Grace with her hair. Danny thought it was time that Grace learned to use the hair dryer. It took twice as long, but Grace was pleased with the result.

After Grace was in bed, Steve and Danny retired to the lanai with a couple of beers. Danny already called Rachel for the evening to make sure she was still pregnant and not in labor. Rachel was very apologetic about the ironic turn of events. Stan's constant traveling was one of the issues that drove Rachel to Danny's arms last year. Now he was on travel again and in danger of missing the birth of their child.

Rachel and Stan were having problems again. While on their trip and away from the pressures of daily life, they did very well. When they returned and reality intruded in a big way, they struggled. Rachel felt very alone without even Grace to keep her company most days. She couldn't turn to Danny again; it wasn't fair to him now that he was with Steve.

Rachel regretted more everyday that she couldn't make it work with Danny. He was different with Steve. He still ranted and talked with his hands, but his tone was different. Rachel used to roll her eyes when Danny was on a roll. Steve seemed to enjoy Danny's rants. Steve seemed to enjoy everything about Danny. Rachel was determined to make her marriage to Stan work, but she knew it would never be what she should have had with Danny. Rachel had come to like Stan very much, but she didn't love him. She was exhausted trying to hide it from Stan. Rachel only hoped the baby would help them bridge the gap.

"So, are you feeling better tonight?" Steve kept a close eye on Danny since his rant this afternoon. He suspected that it would get tougher for Danny when Rachel had the baby. Steve wished they could get away for the couple of days and go to the cabin. It didn't matter if they had Grace with them; Steve just wanted to get away.

"Yeah, I'm good. How could I not be good? You and I are the heroes of Grace's school. I wasn't sure if you were doing the right thing, but you saved a lot of kids from a lot of trauma."

"Yesterday, I asked Grace to trust me and to talk to me if there was a problem. I'm going to ask you the same thing." Steve held Danny's left hand and admired his ring. He was happy with their decision to wear their rings all the time.

"I can do that. I would be a mess without you. It's hard to see Rachel like this. I don't think I could get through this without you. Just keep doing what you're doing." Danny leaned into Steve and closed his eyes. He could feel the strength in Steve's biceps and smell the scent of the soap in their shower. They used the same soap, but the scent was different on Steve. Just this much contact relaxed Danny, but it wasn't enough. He needed more from Steve tonight.

Danny stood and pulled Steve up. "I could use a little extra comfort tonight. Are you up for a little extra-curricular activity?"

Steve pulled Danny in for a hug. "Only with you Danno." When they reached the bedroom, Steve turned to Danny. "Tell me what you need from me. Tell me what you want."

Danny leaned in and whispered in Steve's ear, "Just love me."

Steve pulled the covers back and stripped both of them. He guided Danny down and lay down beside him. Steve's hands were everywhere, but he kept his touch gentle. Steve talked as he made love to Danny. A part of Danny's heart was scarred from his relationship with Rachel. It was no longer an open wound, but the scar would always be a sore point. Steve wanted to ease the pain tonight. He paced them so they went over the edge at the same time. He held Danny until his breath evened out.

Steve curled around Danny and watched him sleep. Steve was usually a belly sleeper, but he wanted to hold Danny tonight. His partner was sleeping soundly, exhausted from the demands of the day and the lovemaking in the evening. Steve was also exhausted, but he couldn't seem to turn his brain off. He knew there was nothing more he could do. The drama would play out and there was nothing he could do about it except be there for Danny.

Danny turned in his sleep and pulled Steve closer. "Love you babe."

"I love you too, Danno." Steve matched his breathing to Danny's and finally slept.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve was up early on Tuesday to meet with a group of HPD officers who wanted to ramp up their fitness level. There had been a lot of e-mail on the subject since Steve returned from his honeymoon, but this was their first meeting in person. There were a dozen or so bleary-eyed officers in the gym at the HPD headquarters gym waiting for Steve when he came in. Steve had assembled a roster so he could study the personnel files of the men and women standing in front of him. He wanted to know who he was dealing with. Although most of those present were there solely for the purpose improving their fitness level, Steve suspected one or two might have another agenda.

Steve noted that most were rookies fresh out of the academy. Four of the men were experienced officers; one of the four was someone he had dealt with on a couple of cases. He would watch these closely. Steve knew that he made mistakes in the early months of his 5-0 tenure, and some of HPD were still a little pissed off at Steve and his team. He hoped to smooth some feathers if he could.

Steve asked everyone to give their name, their current assignment, and what they hoped to get out of the sessions. Then Steve did the same. He told the group his goal was to share information and expertise. Steve would demonstrate some of his seal fitness training exercises, and later he would add some hand-to-hand techniques.

"We depend on each other in the field; you're my back-up, and occasionally 5-0 is your back-up. I've reviewed the training you received in the academy, and it's an excellent start. But what happens when you identify yourself and tell a suspect to freeze? Most of the time, they will run. Some will have a good head start on you and throw obstacles in your way. Some will shoot at you. So the first thing I want to work on is speed and endurance. We'll do sprints first here in the gym, and then we'll move outside to work on endurance. On the days that we don't meet, you need to do this on your own or with a buddy. Are there any questions?"

Steve saw that there were no questions, so he had the men line up. He paired them off and timed their sprints. After a few minutes, he put the stop watch down and joined in the exercise. He offered advice and encouragement to the slower men and women. He told the women he expected that they would be able to keep up with the group. "Officers Kalakaua and Weston from my team have chased down suspects twice their size and brought them down. Officer Kalakaua in particular has a round-house kick you do not want to get in the way of. Don't let anyone tell you that you're not big enough or strong enough. If you're HPD, you're good enough. Together, we can all get a little better."

Steve kept up with the group with the sprints, and after 30 minutes they moved outside. There they ran a course Steve laid out for them. There were some obstacles to leap over, and part of the course was uphill. Steve led the group and then timed them as they completed. "I've taken some baseline numbers for today. We'll repeat this periodically so you can see your improvement. On Thursday afternoon, we'll work on some calisthenics. You should change up your routine from day to day so all the muscle groups get some work. You all worked hard this morning. Be sure and hydrate throughout your workout and during the day. Have a good day. Call me if you have any questions."

Overall, Steve was pleased with the group. The rookies were in top shape since they recently completed their training. The more experienced officers kept up well, although they were a little slower on their feet. Steve's only regret was leaving a sleeping Danny in bed. They agreed that Steve would work out with the group on Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon unless something pressing was coming up. Still, Danny was going through a rough time, and Steve's knew that keeping a lot of physical contact with Danny would help him through it. Danny was a very physical guy; they both were. They enjoyed sex a lot, but they also needed holding and cuddling. Despite the fact that their bed was huge, they usually migrated together in the middle or on Steve's side. It was difficult for Steve to extract himself this morning without waking Danny.

Steve was at his desk drinking coffee and eating a granola bar when Danny came in. "You should have been with me at the school this morning. A bunch of the kids were looking for you. They wanted to thank you for solving the bully problem. I told them that you would probably drop Grace off tomorrow morning, so you should pencil that in on your calendar."

"You're kidding, right?" Steve had momentarily forgotten the incident at the school. He was still chasing down any information on Shelburne.

"No, I'm not kidding. Maybe you should wear your dress blues. Some of the girls wanted to meet Commander McGarrett, but I think they're a little young for you." Danny enjoyed teasing Steve about his new fans.

"Please, I don't want to encourage them. How did Grace take it?" Steve didn't want to upset Grace again.

"Are you kidding? She loves it. She actually gets to live with us, so she's kind of a celebrity. I really need to warn you. They start planning the spring carnival next month, and after yesterday morning, I can guarantee that the principal will want you in the dunk tank. I don't think she was too thrilled to have you bust her students for 'extortion'. Threatening to file a police report was a nice touch. Damn, it makes me hot just thinking about it. Do you think we could have a nooner today? We don't have any urgent cases." Noon sex was always a fantasy for Danny, but Rachel couldn't be convinced.

"Seriously, Danny, you want a nooner?" Steve stopped to consider the idea. It certainly had some merit, and it would make up for leaving Danny so early this morning. "Detective Williams, are you suggesting we go on maneuvers during our lunch period?"

Danny snorted; leave it to McGarrett to turn a little lunchtime sex into a military operation. "I was thinking more of an undercover assignment: you and me under the covers. Game on?"

"Game on." Steve watched Danny walk back to his office, admiring Danny's ass as he walked. It made his hands itch to watch. He wanted his hands on Danny, now. Steve leaned back in his chair and thought about his overdue budget report. When he was calm and his erection was gone, Steve went back to work.

At quarter 'til twelve, Danny poked his head in the door. "Steve, I need to run back to the house and pick up a file I left in the study. Do you want to go back with me and we can eat lunch there?"

Steve thought Danny did an amazing job of making his request look perfectly innocent. Steve checked his watch and stood up to join Danny. "Yeah, it will be good to get away from my desk for a while. The numbers on the page are starting to dance around." He passed Kono and Lori who were working at the smart table. "We'll be back after lunch. You know how to reach me if you need me."

As she watched Steve and Danny leave, Lori looked at Kono, eyebrows raised. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Kono's eyes danced in mischief. "If you're thinking that they're going home for a quickie, then yeah, I'm thinking the same thing. But it's their lunch hour, and we're not particularly busy. From what I overheard, Danny's ex is due to have her baby soon. There was a time, before you joined the team, when they thought Danny was the father. I imagine he's having a tough time about now. If it will take Danny's mind off the whole mess, I'm all for it. Besides, the boss will be in an extra good mood this afternoon."

"Wow, I didn't realize that Danny had reconciled with his ex. This place is like a soap opera."

Kono forgot that Lori wasn't around for Sarin nerve gas incident with Danny. She didn't mean to divulge that Danny and Rachel had an affair while she was married to Stan. "Lori, I shouldn't have said anything. Please don't repeat it or say anything to Danny. He's a really good guy who had a tough time adjusting to Hawaii. His ex jerked him around about visitation with Grace. And Steve was really torn up about his father's death; he blamed himself for the longest time. They both deserve some peace and happiness. Something happened yesterday afternoon that wound Danny up. He was a lot better after Steve talked him down, and he was better again this morning."

"Kono, I promise I won't say anything. And I don't have a problem with whatever goes on outside of here. Hey, if either of them looked at me the way they look at each other, I'd be going home for a quickie too. You want to break for lunch? Maybe we can hit the shrimp truck and watch the guys on the beach. I know you're seeing Charlie, but I wouldn't mind meeting someone.

Kono was a little surprised. Lori asked a lot of questions, but she wasn't very forthcoming about herself. Kono enjoyed working with Lori but was a little reticent about developing a friendship outside of work. She had no reason except that Lori had been assigned to the task for by the governor, not chosen by Steve. However, Lori went with them to Korea and she was an asset to the team.

"I'll have to pass on lunch. I need to make a couple of phone calls. We could go out for dinner instead. I know a great place to meet guys, and the food is passable." What the hell; Kono could use a girls' night out.

"That sounds great. I'll come by your office after end of shift." Lori was looking forward to their evening. Even if she didn't meet any guys tonight, it would be an improvement over her usual routine. Lori was tired of eating frozen dinners or carry-out on her couch in front of the TV.

Steve drove home as quickly as he could without breaking too many traffic laws. Danny was running his hand up and down Steve's thigh. It was all Steve could do to keep the Camaro on the road. Danny hadn't touched him directly and he was already rock hard. Once he turned into the driveway and turned off the car, Steve grabbed Danny and kissed him. He wasn't sweet today. He was a little rough, and Danny moaned in response.

"Inside now," was all Danny could get out. He was also painfully aroused. Danny broke the kiss and ran for the door. He had the door open and the alarm de-activated in less than a minute. His hands were shaking as he started to strip.

"We don't need everything off Danno. Can't wait that long." Steve had one hand on Danny and used his body to back Danny against the wall.

"Yes we do, or we'll need to change our clothes before we go back to work. I'm pretty sure we didn't fool anyone, but I don't want to invite any comments if we come back with different clothes on. I'm sure that you have at least a dozen khaki cargo pants and another dozen blue polo shirts, but I only have one gray shirt with blue pinstripes."

"Okay, hurry up. This weekend we buy you some duplicate shirts for the next time." Steve was having trouble untying his shoelaces.

Danny was naked and decided to help Steve out by working on the buttons on his cargo pants. Steve finally finished with his shoelaces and toed off his boots. Thirty seconds later, he was naked with Danny on the couch. It was hard and fast. Danny's vision blurred when he came; Steve couldn't catch his breath.

"Babe, that was so hot!" For Danny, there was only here and now. There wasn't room for anyone or anything else. He knew they needed to clean up and get back to work, but he couldn't feel his toes.

"Danno, this was a brilliant idea. And now I'm really hungry." Steve paused to kiss Danny, softly this time. He worried that he was too rough, but Danny seemed to be fine.

It took another few minutes, but the men finally made it to the shower. Steve had to retrieve a clean pair of socks from the laundry room when he couldn't find both of his in the living room. Danny had no trouble finding his clothes and made them sandwiches for lunch while Steve finished dressing. They ate quickly and packed a protein bar for later.

"Steve, wait. You need to comb your hair. Do I look okay?" Danny wanted to at least make an effort to look like nothing happened.

"Babe, you look great. Do I need to prove it to you again?" Steve started in for Round 2 when Danny put up a hand to stop him.

"You moron, I wasn't fishing for a compliment. Do I look the same as when we left the office for lunch? I will not be obvious about what just happened here." Danny was trying to sound stern, but Steve was wearing his 'I just had you and want you again' face. It was a new face for Steve, one Danny really wanted to see again.

They made it back to the office with two minutes to spare. Thankfully, Lori and Kono were nowhere to be seen. Danny thought that they might have gotten away with it until he got a text from Kono. "Busted!" He was so relaxed that he couldn't muster even a blush.

Steve didn't even bother to wipe the satisfied smirk off his face. He was too damned happy at the moment to care. He was among family here, and there was no need to hide anything. For the moment, he had exorcised Danny's demons, and he would do anything to keep them away.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Season 2, Episode 14 "Pu'olo"

Steve was up early on Wednesday for his daily fitness routine. He worked with weights before going for his morning swim. Steve wanted to catch up with Joe this morning, but Grace wanted him to drive her to school. Danny warned him that some of Grace's little friends had a crush on him. Steve was so embarrassed about it, but he knew it would be better to get it over with. Danny was in the kitchen pouring his first cup of coffee when Steve came into the kitchen.

"You looked good out there babe. Can you make sure that Grace is up before you take your shower?"

"Sure, if I can have a cup of that to take with me." Steve stole a kiss and took his mug from Danny.

Grace was already in the bathroom when Steve came down the hall. Steve finished his shave and shower in record time. Grace knocked on the bedroom door just as Steve was tying the laces on his boots.

"You can come in Grace." Grace was dressed for school and had a brush and two hair ties in her hand. Steve took them from her and motioned for her to turn around. He neatly parted her hair and made two perfect braids.

"Daddy, are you going to take me to school today?" Grace promised her friends that Steve would be there this morning. She turned to give him her best puppy dog eyes.

Steve knew he had no chance against Grace's ultimate weapon. "Yes Grace, I'll take you to school today. Please don't encourage your friends. You know Danno and I took care of Pratt because we won't let anyone hurt you like that."

"I know, but he hurt a lot of kids. He didn't bother me and Ali much because I stood up to him. But when we came back after Christmas, he started saying a lot of mean things about you and Danno. I wanted to punch him in the mouth, but what you did was a lot better. You didn't see his face when you walked him to the principal's office. Thank you Daddy." What wrapped her arms around Steve's neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

Steve hugged her back and wished he could suspend time for just a little bit. "You're entirely welcome. Why don't you put your brush in your room and I'll walk downstairs with you."

Danny was just putting their oatmeal on the table when Steve and Grace walked in. They discussed their plans for the day while they ate. Grace had a math test, and Danny promised to check over the budget for Steve. Steve wanted to see what Joe White was up to. The last time Steve saw him, Joe bailed out of Steve's truck after Steve rescued him from the Yakuza.

Steve thought he would be uncomfortable at Grace's school, but he didn't know the half of it. Some of the mothers were waiting with their kids. Steve noticed that they looked pretty dressed up for so early in the morning. One little boy almost broke Steve's heart. He had a bruise on his face, apparently courtesy of the school bully.

His name was Tommy O'Brien, and he was a scholarship student. His mom was a single parent who knew her son was being bullied. Tommy was very smart, and as the smallest in his class, he was a bully magnet. Molly hoped that the private school would be a safe haven for Tommy. When Tommy came home on Monday with the tale of how two policemen arrested the bully while he was threatening Tommy and his friend, Molly broke down and cried. She was at the school on Tuesday to thank Danny, and she made a point to be there today to thank Steve.

While Molly expressed her thanks to Steve, he felt a tug on his cargo pants. Steve put his hand up to interrupt Molly and crouched down to see what her son wanted. Steve recognized him as one of the boys Pratt was threatening when Steve caught him in the act. "Hey buddy, are you doing okay? It looks like I didn't get him in time, did I?" Steve brushed his hand over the bruise on Tommy's face.

"Thanks Commander McGarrett." Tommy gave Steve a brief hug before running to join his friends.

It was the high point of Steve's day. He caught up with Joe in an alley where they had a very unsatisfactory exchange. Then 5-0 was called in on a robbery-murder case. He met Danny, Chin, and Kono at the crime scene. The robbery part made no sense; Kono verified that nothing was missing from the delivery truck. Lori identified the print that Kono found in the back of the truck; it belonged to the surviving driving. When Steve and Danny went to his home to question him, they found him bound and gagged with his attacker still in the house. Then Steve was forced to shoot the attacker, and the man did not survive.

And then the day got much worse. Danny received a frantic call from Rachel; she was in labor and in a panic. Danny left to take Rachel to the hospital. Steve received a call from HPD; the Yakuza made an attempt on Joe and almost killed an innocent bystander. Kono and Lori left for Halawa Correctional Facility to enlist Sang Min's help on their case. They dangled a promise of a federal prison on the mainland, safe from Wo Fat, in return for his help. Even Kamekona got in on the action pretending to be Sang Min's bodyguard.

Sang Min was able to lead them to the island's top smuggler. At last they had the final piece of the puzzle. The items smuggled out of the airport by the surviving driver were computer chips that would make counterfeit passports the real thing. The men behind the heist were on their way out of the country with a hundred chips when Chin, Kono, and Lori took them down. TSA and Homeland Security were happy to hear the news. It was late by the time they made it back to headquarters to start their paperwork.

Meanwhile, Steve set up a meeting with Joe and Adam Noshimuri. It was time to tell Adam the truth about his father. It was tense when Adam and his men pulled their guns out, causing Steve and Joe to do the same. Fortunately, Joe was able to prove that Hiro Noshimuri was alive. Then Steve made his pitch to Adam. They could form an alliance to take down Wo Fat. It would take time and patience. With their business with the Yakuza taken care of, Steve pressed Joe for the information on Shelburne.

Danny wasn't having a better day. Emelina dropped Grace off at the hospital, so Danny was keeping an eye on both Rachel and Grace. Steve checked in with Danny from time to time. In fact, Danny was talking to Steve when he saw the nurses running to Rachel's room. There were complications and Rachel needed an emergency C-section. As Danny was garbing up for the operation room, all he could think was 'This is not my life'. He ached for Steve. Danny twisted the ring on his left hand and calmed himself. He could do this, and then he would go home to Steve.

Rachel had such a sense of déjà vu. She remembered when Grace was born. She squeezed Danny's hand so hard that that she almost broke his fingers. Stan should be here; it was his baby. This was so unfair to Danny, but here he was again. He was the first to see her new son.

Danny watched as the nurse passed the baby boy to Rachel. Steve was right about one thing: they were all part of an extended family. This was Grace's half-brother, and Danny knew he would always be welcome in their home.

As the sun rose, Joe and Steve stood in the cemetery at John McGarrett's grave. Joe explained the truth about Shelburne and how he needed to disappear. Joe was a threat to Steve and everyone he cared about, and Joe would not be responsible for any more tragedy. Steve felt like he was losing his father again, but it would not be forever. Someday, they would take Wo Fat down.

Steve caught up with Danny at the nursery window. Danny was watching the newborns with great interest, especially one Charles William Edwards. Steve could tell that the long hours had taken a toll on Danny. Grace was still asleep in the waiting room. It was time to take his family home.

Steve offered to buy Danny breakfast, a suggestion Danny could get into. He had little to eat while he was keeping Rachel company, and he was starving. Steve picked a still-sleeping Grace up and carried her to the parking lot. They left Steve's truck at the hospital so Steve could drive Danny and Grace to the pancake house. Steve called Grace's school to let them know she would be late. Steve would have urged Danny to take a personal day, but he didn't want Danny to spend the day alone at home.

Danny showed Grace the picture of the baby that he e-mailed to Stan. Grace had hoped for a sister, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Steve received a call from the governor while they were waiting for their food.

"Commander McGarrett, I wanted to congratulate you and your team. I understand that all the chips were recovered. The TSA and Homeland Security called me early this morning to express their gratitude. Your team had a long day yesterday. I won't expect any of you in until after noon today. Have a good day."

Steve was grateful for some downtime this morning. He passed the news on to Danny before calling the others. After breakfast, they went by the hospital to retrieve Steve's truck before going home. Grace took a quick shower and dressed for school. She had slept at the hospital, but she was still a little tired. Steve drove her to school and went in to explain the circumstances while Danny took take a shower and went to bed. Steve did the same when he came back from the school. They were alone in the house, so Steve didn't bother to dress after his shower. He saw that Danny was also nude under the sheet.

Steve pulled Danny close. He knew that Danny would have a bad case of bed hair when he woke up. They had time for a nap before going into work this afternoon. Danny was so warm, and he curled into Steve's body. They were a perfect fit like this. Steve was content to hold Danny until it was time to get up, but surprisingly he slept.

It was Danny who woke first. He was wrapped about a naked Steve. He checked the clock and judged they had time. Danny knew that Steve wouldn't mind waking up a little early. Danny gently rolled Steve on his back so he would be on top. Sometimes Steve would wrestle for control, but not this morning. Danny had been stuck in a situation where he had no control for too long. Steve let Danny take the lead now.

"Hey babe, are you awake?" Danny levered himself up on his elbow and kissed Steve. When Steve responded, he moved down Steve's torso. Danny was pleased to see that Steve was responding to his attention."

"I'll wake up anytime you want to do this, Danno. You're really good at it. Oh yeah, that spot right there." Steve encouraged Danny, telling him that no one ever gave him so much pleasure. "You're the best, Danno. You know just where to touch me."

Danny didn't see Steve like this often. He was so compliant this morning. Danny was free to explore Steve's body, something he really enjoyed. He knew that Steve wouldn't attempt to take control. Danny kept up his assault on Steve's senses, becoming more aroused with Steve's words and response.

Steve's hands were exploring Danny's body too. He was careful not to drive Danny over the edge, although he could tell that Danny was close. They both were, and he wanted to prolong their pleasure. But Danny had his own ideas, and he wanted Steve past the point of coherent thought. Danny had his way, and Steve wasn't sure how it happened. He came almost without warning, surprising both of them. Steve didn't want to leave Danny on the edge, and it didn't take much to give Danny his release.

Steve held Danny where he was. He liked the weight of Danny's body on him, the way it pressed him against the mattress. "Well, this was an unexpected pleasure. I thought you would sleep for a while."

"Yeah, I could use a little more sleep, but I needed you more. I imagine we'll all hit the sack early tonight." Danny started to mention visiting the hospital after work, but he didn't want to bring Stan or Rachel into the conversation. This time was for Steve; they didn't need other people in bed with them.

"As long as you're with me, it sounds perfect. I guess we should get cleaned up. We could pick up pizza for lunch on the way in to work. I'll even get one with pepperoni on it."

"You're on. Make mine with extra cheese." Danny rolled off Steve and out of bed. Steve followed him into the bathroom and they shared the shower. Steve brought Danny up to date on the resolution of the case and his conversation with Joe. Danny knew that Steve would miss Joe, but he was relieved that all the doubts about Joe were unfounded.

Danny placed the order for the pizzas and texted the team that lunch would be waiting for them at HQ. Chin, Kono, and even Lori were discrete about asking Danny too many questions about the baby. Instead, they entertained Danny with the story of Sang Min at the shrimp truck, Kamekona's new diet, and the dynamic duo in action. Danny knew what they were doing, but it didn't matter. He could picture Sang Min dressed as a walking advertisement for the shrimp business. He was sorry he missed it.

Danny helped wrap up the paperwork from the case even though he wasn't there for most of it. The team left on time, happy to only have one more day to work this week. Danny called earlier to check on Rachel; Stan answered her room phone. Stan knew that he lost points for being absent when Rachel gave birth. It was worse because Danny filled in for him. What should have been a shared experience between Rachel and Stan instead became another memory between Rachel and Danny.

Stan sensed that he was fighting a losing battle with his marriage, and he suspected that Rachel was still in love with Danny. The only good news was that Danny had no interest whatsoever in resuming his relationship with Rachel other than as a friend. He knew that Steve and Danny were very much in love. Rachel didn't want another failed marriage, and maybe they could work it out for the sake of the baby. He had a son now; that changed everything.

Steve fixed comfort food for supper. They had chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Grace yawned through most of the meal and went up to take her shower early. Grace was feeling a little sad now that the baby was here. She had been an only child for over ten years, and she wasn't sure that she was ready to share her mom with a baby brother. At least she was still an only child with Danno and Daddy.

The shower revived Grace long enough for story time. Steve and Danny gave extra attention to Grace. "Hey Grace, it's the last night of your early bedtime. We can have movie night tomorrow, and you can pick out the movie." Steve was proud of Grace; she didn't complain about her adjusted bedtime once.

Steve and Danny went to bed early too. Steve thought he was getting too damn old to be pulling all-nighters. He was relieved that the day was over. It had been a brutal two days, but they had made it through together. Steve pulled Danny close; he had a surprise for him. "Get some sleep, Danno. We're going to have a busy day tomorrow. I called Mr. Page while you were in the bathroom. We've got the cabin and we're getting away for the weekend."

"Have I told you today how much I love you, babe?" Danny knew that Steve was doing it for him so that he wouldn't get pulled into the Rachel and Stan drama. It was a relief to know that they would have some quality family time. Grace needed it too. Danny dreamed about their honeymoon at the cabin; it was a very happy dream.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14 "Pu'olo"

Rachel was having a very bad day. She couldn't believe that Danny hadn't brought Grace by the hospital last night. She knew that Danny called to make sure she was okay and that Stan answered the phone. Rachel wasn't okay. She was in a lot of pain from the C-section, and she missed Danny. Danny was supposed to be here. He was supposed to be the father of little Charles. Instead, she was stuck with Stan. He left only to shower and change clothes. She wished he would leave for a little while so she could cry in solitude.

Rachel managed to sneak a phone call in to Danny while Stan when to the cafeteria to get her some pudding. She was sure he would come to visit today; instead she was stunned to discover that he was going out of town for the weekend with Steve and Grace. They were going to that stupid cabin where she wouldn't be able to get in touch with Danny. They would have the satellite phone with them, but the number was at home in her nightstand. She couldn't ask Stan to bring it to her. Then he would know. He would know that she wanted Danny again.

Now she would be stuck in the hospital until Sunday with no one else to visit her except Stan. The euphoria of giving birth with Danny at her side had worn off, and she was mildly depressed. Rachel knew that Steve was taking Danny out of reach on purpose. It wasn't fair; Steve had Danny and Grace. Rachel wasn't sure if she would ever get Grace back home with her. She knew that Grace was much happier with Danny and Steve. She would end up seeing Grace once or twice a week and on the occasional weekend. It wasn't fair at all.

Steve was having a very good day. He was able to send 5-0's budget for 2012 to the governor's office. He was able to meet his target, in part thanks to the grant Lori had gotten them. Steve was feeling much better today. He got a good night's sleep and woke early enough to make love to Danny and take a swim.

Steve was with Danny when Rachel called. They were on the way to check out a warehouse for HPD when the call came. Danny was driving the Camaro, for a change. Steve wanted Danny to have control for a while. Danny put the call on speaker when it came. Steve heard the tone in Rachel's voice as she asked why Danny didn't come by last night and if he would visit today. Steve was getting good at judging tones after all these months with Danny.

Steve could tell that Rachel was first disappointed and now angry. Just as Steve thought, Rachel was trying to pull Danny into the drama of her life. He had suspected for a long time that Rachel wasn't over Danny, and now he was sure. He was also sure that Danny was quite over Rachel. But Steve knew that Danny had a soft spot for Rachel, so she still had the power to hurt him. He would not allow anyone to hurt the people he loved, not if he could help it.

Steve and Danny took off a little early to pack up for the weekend. They made a quick run to the store after picking Grace up. It took another hour to pack their bags and food for two days. Chin had the sat phone number in case something important came up. Otherwise, they were off the grid for the weekend. Steve glanced over at his partner; Danny was grooving to Bon Jovi. Steve let Danny choose the radio station. Steve would never admit it, but Bon Jovi wasn't all that bad. He just liked to give Danny a hard time about all things New Jersey. Now that he understood what Danny had lost when he moved and he knew that Danny no longer wanted to move back, Steve could afford to be more tolerant.

Steve made their usual stop for supper at the barbeque place before heading to the cabin. Steve would swear that the weight of the world dropped off Danny's shoulders when they pulled up in front of the cabin. Grace jumped from the truck when Danny opened her door. She was happy to be here too.

Steve opened the front door and was hit with a rush of memories. It hadn't been so long ago that Steve and Danny spent their honeymoon here. He remembered the nights in front of the fire and making love to Danny on a blanket under the stars. They wouldn't be able to do that this time, but having Grace here was worth it. They needed the time together without anyone else intruding.

They unpacked quickly and ate their supper while it was still warm. Grace took her shower while Steve and Danny swung on the front porch. She put on her pajamas and slippers and joined them. They made a spot between them but kept their arms on the back of the swing so that they were still touching. Grace was happy to recap her day for them. She finished her homework at Emelina's, so she had the weekend to play. Grace was relieved to get away too. She was still ambivalent about her new brother, and she was unaware of the undercurrents between her mother and father.

Danny was content to swing with Steve and Grace. He remembered the first morning of his honeymoon spent on this swing. Steve and Danny talked all morning of nothing and everything. He was aware that Steve was allowing him to make choices for them. He suspected as much when he got to drive this morning, and he was sure of it when he was able to pick the radio station on the drive this afternoon. He was also aware that Steve made the arrangements this weekend to keep him away from the hospital and Rachel.

Danny ordinarily would have been upset that Steve was being so high-handed. Instead, he was a little thrilled that Steve was staking out his territory. He also appreciated Steve running interference between Rachel and him. He knew it would be too easy to get sucked back into Rachel's life again. He wasn't totally oblivious to the signals Rachel was sending out during labor. Danny just wasn't interested, and he was sure that Steve knew that. He was sure that Stan knew that. He wasn't sure that Rachel understood that. The week had been filled with drama. This weekend would be free from all of that.

Danny planned to thank Steve for watching out for him tonight after Grace went to bed. He knew that the only reason he was sitting here enjoying a quiet evening with his family was Steve. Steve's love and support got him through the last few months watching Rachel grow big with the baby that wasn't his. It got him through the long day and night of labor and delivery. Now he felt strong enough to get through the rest of it.

Steve and Danny read with Grace in her bedroom. They were starting a new book, and everyone was enjoying the start of the story. Steve was more relaxed that he had been in days. The issue of the bullies was behind them. Puberty was still ahead of them, but the problems weren't so imminent. Rachel had delivered the baby, and Stan was back in town.

The C-section meant that Rachel's recovery would take longer, and she had weeks of bed rest to get past. Rachel was not out of bed for more than a couple of hours a day since her return from her trip, so she had no endurance whatsoever. It would be a long time before Rachel was 100%.

After tucking Grace in, Steve started to get a couple of beers out of the fridge. He thought that they would go back out to the porch. Danny stopped him, instead taking him by the hand and leading him to the bedroom.

"First, I wanted to say thank you. I know what you've been doing." Danny wanted Steve to know how much he appreciated him.

Steve was already pulling off his shirt. "For what, Danny?"

"Steven, I'm not stupid. I realize that you've been very accommodating the last couple of days. Thank you. I was dreading when the baby came, and then I'm stuck at the hospital with Rachel for the whole ordeal. I should be an absolute basket case. Instead, I'm back here where we spent our honeymoon, and I intend to re-enact some of my favorite moments from that week right now with my studly partner." Danny was stripping as he talked. Steve was already naked and pulling the covers down.

"Which parts did you want to re-enact? We can't do nude Monday in front of the fire." Steve was already on the bed, waiting for Danny to join him.

"We can't do anything in front of the fire, but we're free to do what we want in here." Danny pulled Steve in for a hug. It was still early for them, and Danny wanted to take his time. They talked for a while, doing nothing more than kissing every now and then. Their legs were tangled together, and they were close enough for more intimate contact. It was very nice taking his time with Steve like this. Usually, they had to hurry because Grace might come in or they had work in the morning. Tonight, they didn't need to hurry.

Eventually, the close proximity to the best parts of Steve drove Danny to take his next move. His hands were everywhere, and his kisses were longer and harder. Steve noted the change in tempo and matched Danny's moves. He was so aroused now that it was almost painful.

Danny could tell that he needed to give Steve some relief. "You know there's only you now. You're all I want, all I need." They were so close, and then they came together. Danny thought that his vision blurred. Steve couldn't feel his toes.

Every time they were together like this, Danny lost another piece of his heart to Steve. Rachel didn't have a chance against Steve. Steve would never leave Danny. He would never try to separate him from Grace. In the relatively short time Steve had known Danny, Steve had come to understand Danny more than Rachel did after several years of marriage. Steve paid attention, and he was careful to give Danny what he needed. It was very mutual. Danny knew when Steve needed extra care, and he gave it freely to his lover.

Eventually, they cooled down enough to feel a chill. They shared the bathroom, although they had to shower separately. Steve wished that they could dispense with the sleep clothes, but it would be inappropriate with Grace around. She would soon decide that she was too old to cuddle with her dads in the morning, and then they would have more freedom in the bedroom. For now, Steve would do nothing to make Grace think that they didn't want her there.

Steve spooned up in front of Danny when they went back to bed. They talked for a while, and Steve was amused that way that Danny's hands moved in front of him when Danny talked. Finally fatigue took its toll and they slept. Steve had accomplished his mission. For now, the universe only held the three of them.

Rachel had another bad night in the hospital. The C-section was her first surgery, and she was unfamiliar with all the ways surgery can traumatize the body. Stan wanted to stay with her at the hospital, but she insisted that he go home to sleep. She told him that he would need his rest for when she came home with Charles. Rachel's attempts at breastfeeding were unsuccessful so far. She was able to nurse Grace with no problems, so she didn't understand why Charles didn't wanted to breastfeed.

Rachel was furious on Saturday morning. It was fortunate for Danny that the joint custody agreement had been filed with the court. Rachel was in the same frame of mind that spurred her to take Grace to Hawaii without a second thought. She knew that she would not be able to get away with that again. Danny's position had changed over the last year. Steve had the resources and contacts to back Danny. Besides, she didn't want to leave Hawaii. She didn't want to leave Danny, and she knew that Steve would keep Danny here.

Stan was worried about Rachel. He wished that he could talk to Danny to see if Rachel suffered from post-partum depression after Grace. Rachel seemed happy enough when he finally made it to the hospital Thursday afternoon. Her mood deteriorated when she heard that Danny and Grace weren't coming in to visit that evening. It had deteriorated every day since then.

Stan was smart enough to know that he would have his hands full when Rachel and the baby came home on Sunday. Rachel became more frustrated each time that she tried to feed Charles. Stan suggested that maybe it would be easier on Rachel if she didn't breastfeed. He wouldn't make that mistake again. It would be quite a while before they could expect Grace to stay with them. Stan would do whatever it took to make sure that Grace didn't get caught in the middle again. He had come to love her, and he would do whatever was right for her. For now, that was to stay with Danny and Steve. He would not support any effort on Rachel's part to change that until he thought Grace would be happy with them.

His biggest problem right now finding a nanny. Charles was early, and they hadn't gotten around to interviewing prospective nannies. Stan had some interviews set up for Monday, and he planned to ask Danny to check for any criminal records. Rachel was in a somewhat better mood when he brought her home on Sunday. Charles slept through the car ride home, but he was fussy most of Sunday night. Rachel was still in a lot of pain from her incision, and she was exhausted trying to soothe Charles.

Danny was unaware of the conflict at the Edwards' home. He had talked to Stan on his cell when they were on their way home Sunday afternoon. Stan asked him whether Rachel suffered from depression after Grace, but Danny didn't remember any specific problems. He suggested that maybe it was a lack of sleep. He also copied down the information on the nannies to check on tomorrow. Danny was carefully keeping his distance from Rachel.

Late Sunday afternoon, Danny and Grace played in the surf while Steve went for a long swim. He was rested and very relaxed. Danny knew that he would have to be careful dealing with Rachel in the near future. He was also sure that Steve would right there with him, watching his back. They would get through it together.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14 "Pu'olo"

Early morning rain showers cast a gloomy shadow on Monday. The rain kept Steve from working out, but he found an indoor diversion with Danny. Steve and Danny were in a good mood as they rode to work together in the Camaro. Stan called Danny just before they pulled into the parking lot at the Palace.

"Danny, Rachel would like Grace to come by after school for a visit. She's a little upset that Grace hasn't spent any time with Charles. It would probably be better if you took Grace home for dinner. Things are really chaotic over here right now."

Danny could sympathize with Stan. The memories of the early days with Grace had dimmed somewhat, but he had vague recollections of baby stuff everywhere, and eating and sleeping in shifts. His mother came over for several hours a day for the first week, so they at least had hot meals and a little respite. Rachel and Stan had no one.

"Stan, I don't see a problem with that. Will you pick her up, or should I ask Emelina to bring her over?" Danny was ever grateful to Emelina for her cooperation in their new schedule. She watched Grace every week now, but some days she dropped Grace off at the Edwards' home. Danny paid her the same either way as compensation for the chauffeuring duties.

"It would be great if Emelina would bring Grace over, not that it wouldn't be nice to get out of the house for a little while. I have the nanny interviews set up for late morning and afternoon. I hope that one of these people work out, because we really need help here." Stan was a little envious of Danny. Danny got to sleep last night, and Danny probably had a hot breakfast. Hell, Danny probably even had sex with his partner. Stan would give anything for a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep. Between Rachel and Charles, Stan was up every hour or so.

"I'll make the call, Stan. I'll also run those names first thing this morning. Are you going through an agency? I could ask Chin and Kono if one of their many cousins is looking for nanny work, even if it's short-term until you can find a permanent candidate." Danny was being very careful about any offers of help. He was not going to get sucked into going over there himself.

"I've been using a couple of agencies that come highly recommended. I'll let you know if I need more referrals. Thanks, Danny. Uh, you should know that Rachel was rather upset that you, Steve, and Grace left town for the weekend. Personally, I can understand why. Rachel is in kind of a fragile state now, and she's looking for support in the wrong place. I just wanted to warn you. Maybe Steve should come in to pick Grace up. I doubt that she's even speaking to him." Stan wanted to give Danny a heads up about the trouble brewing with Rachel. Steve and Danny had been more than fair with him, and he would do his best to reciprocate.

Danny was surprised at Stan's warning; he always assumed the man was mostly clueless. "Thanks for the warning, Stan. Steve and I talked about the situation over the weekend. We have a pretty good idea what's going on right now. Just one thing we ask of you. Don't let Rachel use Grace as a weapon against me right now. I'm in a much better position now than I was when Rachel and I divorced. I don't want to exacerbate an already difficult situation."

"I understand Danny, and I can promise you that I will not support any effort by Rachel to alter the custody agreement. And I won't let Rachel bring Grace back here for more than a visit until I'm sure that we can give Grace what she needs. I love Grace too, and as much as I miss her, I won't have her here until I'm sure it's good for her. Please make sure that she knows that, will you? I screwed up with her last summer; I don't want to make another mistake."

Danny was relieved; Stan would be an ally. He wouldn't throw all of his money behind Rachel to make a grab for Grace again. "I appreciate that more than I can say. You have our promise that Grace will understand. She's not sure how she feels about the baby right now. It's her nature to want to help out, so you might want to work on the angle until she sorts everything out. Let me know if there's anything we can do, short of coming over there for now."

Steve and Danny reached the 5-0 offices by the time that Danny ended the call. Steve followed Danny into his office find out what Stan wanted. "How much of that did you get?" Danny knew that Steve probably got the drift of most of the conversation.

"Grace is going to visit Rachel and the baby today, and Stan isn't going to let Rachel jerk us around on the custody agreement." Steve knew that there were other things being discussed, but that was the Reader's Digest version.

"Yeah, that was most of it. Rachel is very pissed off that you shanghaied us to the cabin, and she is pretty sure that you did it on purpose. Stanley is also aware and appreciates our position. He will not fund a lawyer to contest any custody agreement, nor will he enforce the agreement we have in place. Grace will only come over for visits until Rachel is back on her feet. He loves her and misses her. He asked that we let Grace know that."

Steve was amazed at the turnaround in Stan. Stan was going to stand up for Grace and against Rachel if necessary. Steve knew that the man would have his hands full. "That's unexpected, don't you think?"

"I think Stan has begun to realize that Rachel can be a very difficult woman. She has a lot of wonderful qualities, but she doesn't handle it well when she doesn't get what she wants. Well, you know what happened when I wouldn't leave the police department. When you and I disagree, we yell a little, cool off a little, and then we have a rousing round of sex. Rachel would freeze me out me out, and when she would start talking to me again, it was to lecture to me in that superior tone of voice. And there would be no sex for a long time."

Steve had to laugh. "So you're saying we fight better?"

"Yeah, and the sex is much better too. Never once have you made me feel like you were doing me a favor. You initiate sex as much as I do. And the big one: you've gone along with every sex fantasy game I've ever had. I forgot how much fun sex can be." Danny needed to stop talking about sex. He was getting aroused, and a new fantasy popped into his head. He wanted Steve on his desk now.

"The same holds true for me, Danno. And we need to stop talking about it unless you think we can get away with another nooner so soon. Why don't you run those names for Stan? I'll see what happened with HPD over the weekend." Steve retreated to his office before anyone else could see his erection.

Danny discovered one of the candidates had a petty theft record when she was 14, but nothing else popped out. Then he decided to try another approach. He ran the credit records and round that two of the four candidates reported only minor income for the last three years. That was an indication that either their references could be fake, or they were getting paid under the table. Danny wouldn't tell Stan this, but he would recommend that Stan check their references for any discrepancies. Grace would be spending time in the house with the nanny, and Danny wanted to protect her.

Stan appreciated the feedback from Danny and started his interviews. He was not overly impressed with any of them. For now, he needed someone who could help with the baby until Rachel recovered. Stan decided to call Emelina. Stan had been impressed with the cheery woman the first time they met. He knew that she was one of the Kelly cousins, and he trusted her judgment.

Stan got a couple of recommendations from Emelina. The first woman might be interested in full-time, temporary work. She was a widow, and she loved babies. She could help Rachel during the day while Stan was at work. The second woman would be available for night duty or some weekend hours. Her husband was deployed with the Navy, and she complained that the nights were too empty for her. Stan called Danny back with the additional names and was pleased to hear that they had no record.

Danny thought they might be a better fit for what Rachel needed now. When the baby was older, his needs would increase. For now, he needed to be fed, changed, and comforted as required. Danny gave his seal of approval on the Kelly clan. Different cousins cleaned their home and took care of the yard. They even shopped for groceries when Steve and Danny were in a pinch.

Stan was able to contact the first woman immediately. Her name was Leah Andrews, and she was thrilled to get the call. Emelina talked about Rachel and her family fondly, and Leah was interested in meeting the infamous McGarrett-Williams family. Leah was able to come over for an interview by the time that Emelina was dropping off Grace.

Grace remembered Leah from the birthday party she attended one weekend when Steve and Danny were called in. She walked in with Leah and they chatted until Stan was able to come downstairs. Stan was carrying a crying baby, and he looked as if he hadn't slept or bathed in days. He was embarrassed that he couldn't calm his son, but he was very happy to see Grace.

Leah took pity on Stan; she knew some of the history from Emelina. "Grace, why don't we say hello to your brother? You're a handsome young man, aren't you?" Leah smoothly took Charles from Stan and sat him on her lap. Grace sat next to Leah and tentatively touched his hand. Charles stopped crying and curled his tiny fingers around Grace's finger, startling her. "I think he likes you." Leah was aware that Grace was having trouble adjusting to a new sibling, and she wanted to help Grace get past it.

Stan wanted to hire her on the spot. Instead, he explained what he was looking for and how much he would be able to pay. Leah was a sucker for babies, and she empathized what Stan was going through. The pay was on the low side, but Leah was inclined to take it. She wanted to meet Rachel first. She knew that unless Rachel approved her employment, her time there would be miserable.

Stan gamely took Leah and Grace upstairs to see Rachel. Rachel was avoiding the stairs as much as possible the first week home. She was sitting on the love seat in her room with her feet up. She also looked exhausted, although she had taken a shower recently. Rachel was delighted to see Grace and a little wary of Leah. Stan thought it best not to mention her association with the Kelly clan; instead, he just said that she came highly recommended and would be able to start immediately. He hastened to add that it was just until Rachel was able to hire someone permanently.

Leah was a wise woman, and she knew how to play the scene with Rachel. She was solicitous but gave the impression that she could easily find another position if Rachel wasn't interested. She told Rachel how handsome Charles was, and it would be a pleasure to take care of him. Rachel was so weary that she would have hired anyone Stan brought to her. Leah offered to stay for the remainder of the afternoon if Rachel wanted to nap.

And just that easily, Stan got his first break. He was able to shower and shave while Grace visited with Rachel. Then he took Grace downstairs with Leah and Charles. Somewhere in the last 24 hours, Rachel had given up the idea of breastfeeding. Charles was feeding well from the bottle, and Leah gave Charles his 4 p.m. feeding while Stan and Grace chatted. Stan was pleased to see that he was still 'Daddy', and he helped Grace with her spelling words and checked her math homework.

It was quiet in the household when Steve rang the doorbell to get Grace. Grace ran upstairs to say good-bye to Rachel while Leah met Steve. She had to agree with Emelina's assessment: Steve McGarrett-Williams was definitely one sexy man. She was charmed by the way that he hugged Grace as if they had been separated for weeks. Grace excitedly told him how Charles held her finger, and how he burped really loud when Leah patted his back.

Steve looked a little uneasy as he waited for Grace to come back down the stairs. "Would you like to hold him, Commander?"

"Please call me Steve. I don't think so. I've never held one that little; I might break him or something." Steve looked decidedly nervous. Steve could feel the sweat on his forehead. He'd rather face a terrorist than hold the baby.

"Nonsense! Just be sure to support his head." Leah neatly transferred baby Charles to Steve's arm and took the empty bottle to the kitchen to rinse it out.

Steve knew that he had been out-maneuvered by an expert. "Well, hello there. I'll make a deal with you. Don't cry or pee on me and I'll feed you all the shave ice you want when you get older. I guess I'll be Uncle Steve or something. We're not related, but your big sister is my daughter because I'm with Danno. We're going to be great friends, aren't we?"

Grace saw her daddy holding Charles and wasn't happy. Daddy was hers exclusively; she refused to share him with Charles. Before she could make a scene, Steve was able to pass the baby back to Leah. "Hey Grace, are you ready to go?" Steve flashed his best smile and hastily retreated to the car.

"Grace, you came down just in time. I was afraid Charles was going to pee on me or something. He's cute, but he's not very interesting yet, if you know what I mean. I missed you today after spending all weekend with you. We had a lot of fun, didn't we?" Steve flashed Danny a look when he climbed in the passenger seat of the car.

"Hey, Monkey. Did you have a nice visit with your mom?" Danny turned to get his hug from Grace.

Grace launched into the details of her time at the Edwards' house. Danny was pleased to hear that Stan was able to spend some time with Grace, and that Stan had hired Leah to help out. Grace and Danny changed into play clothes at home and threw a softball back and forth while Steve went for a run. Grace was developing a pretty good arm.

Danny grilled some chicken and veggies for supper, and they ate when Steve came in. It was a normal humdrum night at the McGarrett-Williams home. As Danny thought about the chaos over at the Edwards' home, he decided that he liked humdrum just fine.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14 "Pu'olo"

Steve was up early on Tuesday for his training with HPD. They were meeting near one of Steve's favorite trails for a mountain run near the shore. Steve explained that while most of their chases would be on city streets and alleys, they would certainly face more rugged terrain at some point in their career. Running in the mountains would give them more endurance, and it would be a little more interesting workout than on a treadmill. He stopped the group periodically to do lunges and push-ups. They were all a sweaty mess by the time that they returned to the parking lot.

Steve provided water and protein bars as he praised their performance. He also handed out a simple routine to follow until they met on Thursday afternoon. The group hung around the parking lot after Steve left. Most of the officers were surprised that Steve was so easy to work out with. He didn't ask them to do anything that he didn't do himself. They had expected a drill sergeant; instead, Steve was reasonable and supportive. He remembered their names, and spoke to them if he saw them in the field.

Steve showered at the gym and was drinking his first cup of coffee when Danny came in. "Hey babe, did you enjoy your wilderness walk?"

Steve rolled his eyes and sighed. "It wasn't a wilderness walk. We went running in the mountains. You should come with us some time. You can do it with the Thursday afternoon group. Emelina can keep Grace for an extra hour or so."

"Steven, I don't think you want me to go running in the mountains with you. Remember the last time? You fell down the side of a cliff and broke your arm." It had been a tense few minutes until Steve was able to assure Danny that he was okay.

"Then we should be good this time. What are the odds that the same thing will happen again?" Steve wanted a repeat visit to see the glyphs; maybe this time they could take Grace. He could borrow his friends chopper and fly them part of the way up. Steve mentally filed it in 'Things I want to do with Danny and Grace' folder.

"I spoke to Stan briefly on the way in. They hired Leah, the woman you met yesterday. She's one of the many Kelly cousins. Emelina recommended her. Stan said that she had a calming effect on Rachel, and last night went much smoother. He asked if Grace can come over again on Thursday. He'll let us know if it will be just for a visit or supper too. I gave him the okay as long as Emelina doesn't have a problem dropping her off. Stan is going back to work tomorrow."

"That's good news; it's going to be hard for Grace if Rachel can't get it together. She seemed okay with the visit yesterday, although she was not happy to see me holding the baby."

"You actually held the baby, and this is the first I'm hearing of it. I would pay money to see that. How on earth did that happen?" Danny couldn't stop laughing at the image of the big bad SEAL holding this tiny person.

"Leah sort of dumped him in my arms and left to take something into the kitchen. Charles was cool about it. He didn't mark his territory and I promised him all the shave ice he could eat when he was old enough." Steve shuddered at the memory. He would have to be more watchful the next time.

"You'll need to send him a thank you note for being so considerate. So what happened with Grace?" Danny didn't want Grace to resent the baby. She was going to have to change her attitude.

"I was able to give the baby back to Leah and spirit Grace out of the before she could say much. I told her that Charles wasn't very interesting and that we had a lot of fun together over the weekend. Maybe if we can let her see that he's no threat to her position in our family, she won't be so sensitive about the whole deal."

Their conversation was interrupted by a call from HPD. There was a tip about a freighter smuggling illegal immigrants in tomorrow evening. Steve was frustrated to know that as soon as they put one smuggling operation out of business, another sprung up to take its place. Their last big bust was for drug smuggling, and it resulted in a busload of students being kidnapped. Steve hoped that this case held no such repercussions."

The day passed quickly, as it usually did when they had a hot case. By the end of the day, they made no progress and had no leads. Steve assembled his team by the smart table and reviewed the facts. Then he asked the big question. "Is it possible that someone wants to keep us busy so we won't be looking at anything else? Lori and Chin, see if you can get me a list of big events happening tomorrow. Kono, get with Charlie and see if he can pull anything off the 911 tape. Danny, let's see if Kamekona knows anything. When you finish with what you're doing, go on home. We'll attack it with fresh eyes tomorrow."

Danny picked Grace up and met Steve at Kamekona's shrimp truck. They could at least have supper after they questioned the big man. Kamekona wasn't much help, but he promised to put out a few feelers. He had abandoned his diet of Subway sandwiches after he gained another three pounds.

Danny talked to Emelina and then Grace about visiting with Rachel on Thursday. Both agreed to the arrangement, so Danny called Stan back. Stan was in the shower, so Rachel answered his cell phone. She had calmed down a little since Leah's arrival. Rachel had the opportunity to rest some during the day, and the pain had abated somewhat during the last couple of days. Charles responded to the calmer environment by sleeping a lot of the day, waking only for feedings and a few other brief periods of playfulness.

"Danny, we have a chance to speak at last. Have you been avoiding me?" Rachel didn't believe in mincing words.

"No, I haven't Rachel. You've been busy with the baby, and Stan is back in town to help you out. Steve and I have been busy at work, and we took the opportunity to get away last weekend when Grace didn't have any schedule conflicts. Why, is there a problem?" Danny would not dance around the subject with Rachel.

"No, I suppose not. I was just a little surprised that you wouldn't want to bring Grace up to visit with her new brother."

"Rachel, you are probably aware that Grace isn't all that happy about the baby. Steve and I thought that we would give her some space and let it come to her naturally. We have a life, Rachel. We do what we think is best for our family. I know that you do the same. I was calling to tell you that Emelina will be dropping Grace off on Thursday. Let me know if she'll be staying for dinner, or if we need to pick her up. It's been nice talking to you Rachel. Take care." Danny was relieved to end the call, and he was also pleased that Grace was not with him during the conversation. She opted to ride home with Steve.

Danny relayed the conversation to Steve after Grace went to bed. Steve thought that Danny handled the situation very well.

"Danny, there was a time when Rachel could back you into a corner. You'd be fuming about it for days. I'm relieved to see that she can't do that to you anymore." Steve paused to take a sip of his beer. He was sitting on the lanai with Danny, admiring the stars and the way they were reflected on the water.

"Face it, Steve. There's not a lot that she can do to me anymore. Grace is rapidly getting to the age where she can pick where she wants to live. I would never play that card unless I had to because that would hurt Grace. I'm hoping that we can go back to our normal schedule once Rachel recovers. It will probably be the end of the school year before that happens, depending on how soon Charles decides to sleep all night. If he develops colic, it could be much longer." Danny remembered the long nights walking the floor with Grace.

"You don't sound so wistful when you talk about the baby. Has the urge to have another passed?" Steve was hoping that Danny would get past this. He wasn't sure he could survive an infant in the house. It sounded comparable to hell week, only you couldn't ring the bell to quit.

"I'm pleased to report that it has. I won't deny that seeing the baby for the first time wasn't a punch in the gut, but I enjoy my sleep and being able to leave the house without packing enough equipment for a small army. I can hear the fatigue in Stan's voice over the phone. It's going to be like for the foreseeable future. I know this sounds selfish, but I really like our life the way it is."

Steve clinked bottles with Danny in agreement. "That's good to know Danno. I like our life the way it is too. Right now, I would like it very much if we could continue this conversation in our bedroom." Steve stood and took Danny's free hand.

Oh yeah, Danny liked this part of their life a lot. Most days, they got around to this. It did great things for Danny's ego to know that Steve always wanted him like this. He knew that people looked at them and wondered why Steve would choose to be with Danny. They just didn't get it, how two somewhat damaged people filled all the missing pieces in the other's heart. They had both been battered by loss, so they appreciated the miracle of their life together.

Chin and Lori had a short list of likely targets to report on Wednesday morning. Kono wasn't able to get any additional information from Charlie, although she spent a very nice evening with him. She blushed when Steve asked for a report, and then realized he was asking about the tape. Steve and Danny exchanged a knowing look but said nothing. Kamekona called to report that the word on the street was that something big was going down at a charity event that evening. Steve decided to go with his instincts and called a meeting with the head of HPD and the governor, who would attend the function. It was a hard sell, but Steve put his reputation on the line. Eventually, it was agreed to turn their attention to the charity event.

Danny made a quick call to Emelina to make arrangements for Grace. It would be a late night. SWAT was in full gear, hidden at strategic points to watch the action. Steve, Danny, Kono, and Lori were mingling among the guests; they cleaned up nicely. An hour into the event, Danny spotted a familiar face serving drinks. He was a hired gun from Jersey. Kono and one of the HPD techs were able to spot most of his cohorts by reviewing the surveillance tapes. A search of the kitchen revealed a small cache of weapons. 5-0 was able to subdue the suspects with minimal attention, while SWAT took down the remaining gang before they could enter the premises.

It was a textbook operation, and the governor was thrilled with the results. Steve was sure to give HPD and SWAT credit for their part in the operation. He recognized one of the officers from his workout group. Steve made it a point to go over and speak to the officer. He was the oldest in the group, and thus had more time on the force. Steve suspected the man might be there to gather ammunition against him or 5-0, but so far he had not created any problem. "Hey Gary, we had a good night, didn't we? Thanks for the backup. You looked good running up the mountain yesterday. It shows on the job. See you tomorrow afternoon."

The team would have a mountain of paperwork tomorrow, but they had done enough for tonight. Steve called Kamekona on the way to pick up Grace to thank him for the tip. Kamekona already knew about the bust, but he appreciated the call. Steve and Danny tucked Grace in and headed to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. Steve assembled a couple of sandwiches while Danny packed a lunch for Grace. It had been a long day, and they were tired.

An hour later, they were freshly showered and in bed. Steve pulled Danny close, content to have his warmth on a cool night. Danny was almost asleep. "Go to sleep babe. Danno loves you."

Steve smiled at the familiar words. "I love you too, Danno. Sleep well."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Steve was able to sleep in on Thursday because he would be working out with his HPD group this afternoon. He rolled over to check on Danny, who was sprawled on his side of the bed. His hair was disheveled, and he had a quirky little smile on his face. Steve glanced down and saw that the sheet was tented over Danny's midsection. Well, that explained the smile.

Steve eased over to give Danny a hand with his growing 'problem'. It didn't take Danny long to wake up. "Good morning, Mr. McGarrett-Williams. I love the way you do that." Danny shifted to give Steve better access, and so he could join in the fun. This was much better than the dream he was having. Steve in the flesh was always better.

"Yes, it is a good morning, Mr. McGarrett-Williams." Steve moved in for a kiss. Who would have thought that the smart-mouthed New Jersey cop would be a world class kisser? Danny had a very talented mouth, and used it freely on Steve.

Steve was a talented kisser also, but he was a rock star when it came to using his hands. Danny wasn't sure if it was the martial arts training or all the years of hand-to-hand combat, but it always seemed that there were more than two hands on him when they made love. Steve also knew how to move his body over Danny's to create maximum friction. Steve was in top form this morning, a sign that he was happy and rested. It was no small wonder that Danny spent so much time looking after Steve's well-being. The results were many mornings and nights of exceptional sex.

Steve enjoyed the aftermath too, the pillow talk. They were still tangled together and feeling very relaxed. Sometimes they would exchange endearments. Sometimes they would discuss the events of the day, or what was on the agenda for the coming day. This morning, they were content to kiss and cuddle until it was time to get up.

Danny went in to make sure that Grace was up while Steve went downstairs to make breakfast. He and Danny had worked up quite an appetite, so Steve wanted to make omelets for them. Grace never figured out why her dads were in such good moods on days like today. All she cared was that they were happy and she was getting an omelet for breakfast.

Danny tried to get a read on how Grace felt about today's visit as they ate breakfast. Grace still wasn't saying much about Charles. "Grace, are you looking forward to your visit with your mother today?"

"I guess." Grace knew how to answer a question without saying much.

"Grace, look at me. Your mother misses you, and Stan misses you. I know this because he told me so. He loves you too, enough to know that you need to be here for now. Things are a little crazy at your mom's right now, so maybe you could help her out a little. She had a pretty big operation to get Charles out, so she's pretty sore. Give her a break, okay?"

Grace considered Danny's words. She knew that her father and Stan didn't like each other for a long time. She thought that they must be friends now for Danno to stick up for Stan and her mother. Grace hadn't thought about what her mother went through to give birth. She really didn't want to think about that.

She reluctantly gave her answer. "Okay, Danno."

Steve wanted to give Grace a little push toward Charles. He was a cute little guy, although Steve preferred to keep his distance. "The baby is kind of cute, don't you think? I don't think he's as cute as you were as a baby, now that I have some of your baby pictures. That was a great gift, Danno. Thank you again. The problem is that he doesn't know how to do anything. Do you realize that you're the only kid he knows? Everyone else around him is a grown-up. Maybe you can teach him how to be a kid."

That gave Grace a new perspective. Steve could see he had her attention. "Think about it. Your mom and Stan can tell him anything, and he won't know the difference. "

"What kind of things?" It popped out before Grace could help it.

"Well, spinach tastes good. Candy tastes nasty. Ice cream is bad for you. Everyone goes to bed at 7 o'clock. Homework is fun. The list is endless. Who else will set him straight? He needs someone to tell him the good stuff now before the grownups really mess him up."

Danny thought Steve must be a genius. It was just the angle to engage Grace with Charles. "That's right, Monkey. You were lucky to have me around to set you straight. Your mother didn't know about some of the good stuff because she grew up in another country. Now you can pass it on to Charles.

Grace was captivated by the concept. She knew so much, and she was learning more every day. Even when she wasn't at school, Danno and Daddy taught her things. They never treated her like a stupid little kid. Charles needed her help, or he would be really screwed-up. "What can I do?" Grace wasn't sure how to act around the baby.

"That's easy, Grace. Just talk to him the way you talk to me and Danno. Tell him about your day. Tell him what you did last weekend at the cabin to have fun. He won't understand much at first, but he'll know that you're a friend. Eventually, he'll catch on."

"I can do that. Will I be home for supper?" Grace decided that maybe the visit today would turn out okay.

"We're not sure. If your mother is up to it and Charles cooperates, they would like you to stay for supper. They will let us know. Daddy is playing with some other kids this afternoon, so I'll pick you up either way."

"Danny, we're training. You make it sound like I'm having a good time." Steve couldn't let that go without a protest.

"Well, aren't you? It's just like when you were in the Army."

"It was the Navy, Danny." It had been a while since Danny teased him like this, and he missed it.

The rest of Thursday was uneventful. There was a mound of paperwork awaiting them from yesterday's bust. Steve had a good session with his group in the gym; he went through different fighting techniques that weren't usually taught to civilians. They sparred in pairs, with Steve spending time with each man and woman. Stan called to say that he was picking up dinner and Grace would eat with them.

Over at the Edwards' home, Rachel was surprised to see that Grace was showing interest in her brother. Since Leah joined the household, Rachel's recovery was progressing. She was dressed and downstairs when Grace came in. Charles was in a baby swing in the living room. He had been fussy today, and Rachel worried that he was developing colic. She had been through that with Grace and really didn't want to go through that again.

It was bad enough that Charles was up most nights until 2 or 3 a.m. Then he would sleep most of the morning and be fussy a lot of the afternoon. Fortunately, the housekeeper usually left dinner for them. Because Leah was there, Rachel could catch up on her sleep when Charles napped. She was also successful in soothing him through his fussy spells.

Rachel was happy to see Grace. She missed her, and she thought bitterly that it must be karma that she was now in the same position she used to put Danny in. Rachel used to think that a couple of days a week were adequate visitation between Grace and Danny. Now she knew that their time together flew by, and the days in between were long. At least Grace would stay for dinner tonight.

Grace finished her homework quickly while she filled Rachel in on her day. Grace thought that her mother seemed like her old self today. She missed the time when they could go out for lunch or shopping. She missed her mother, and even Stan.

Charles started to fuss just as Grace was putting her homework in her backpack. "Why does he cry?"

Rachel was surprised at the question. "Well, his diaper might be wet. Or he could be getting hungry. It's almost his feeding time. Or maybe he's just bored. He likes to be held a lot of the time."

Grace went over and sat in front of the baby. "Hi, I'm Grace. I'm your big sister. I had a really good day today. Daddy Steve made me and Danno omelets for breakfast, and I got an 'A' on my spelling test. Ali, she's my friend, shared her cookies at lunch. I live with Danno and Daddy Steve right now. I used to live here part of the time, but my mommy was sick before you came. When you get bigger, you can visit me over there. Our house is smaller, but we have a lot of fun."

Rachel sat back in amazement as Grace occupied Charles' attention. As she talked, Grace stroked the baby's head and held his hand. Rachel wasn't sure what had prompted the change, but she was relieved that Grace was getting over her resentment of her brother. By the time that Grace ran down, it was time for Charles to eat. Leah brought the bottle in so Rachel could feed him.

Leah was gone and Charles was down for a short nap when Stan came in. Grace ran to greet him and kissed his cheek. Stan noticed that Rachel seemed happier this afternoon. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he suspected that Danny had a hand in it.

Steve met Danny at home and took a quick shower. Steve planned on taking his partner out for dinner. It wouldn't be fancy, but it would give them time to catch up on the day. He drove them to his favorite hamburger joint on the island. They ordered a beer and cheeseburger each, and an order of onion rings to share. They didn't eat a lot of fried foods, but Steve couldn't resist temptation tonight. It had been a tough week, both at work and on the Rachel front.

"Do you think it's safe for me to go in to get Grace tonight?" Danny realized that it was an odd question, but he knew that Steve would get the drift.

"I don't know; maybe if we go in together holding hands, she'll get the message. Or I could just do you in the entry hall." Steve said it so nonchalantly that Danny almost believed that he would do it.

"Or maybe not. But I think you have the right idea. We'll go in together. You can wear your 'he's mine and you can't have him' look."

"I'm not sure what you mean Danno." Steve did his best to look innocent.

"Yes, you do. Whenever anyone gives me an appraising look, like they're thinking that they like what they see, you invade my personal space and dare people to come any closer." The first time that Steve did it, Danny was sure that he was mistaken. Then Danny realized that Steve did it routinely, and it gave Danny a little thrill to know that Steve was so territorial.

"If that were true, then I'd be in your space permanently. How could anyone not like what they see when they look at you?"

Danny blinked; what Steve said was by far and away the most complimentary thing anyone had ever said to him. "Thanks, babe. I'm pretty sure that you're biased, but it means a lot coming from you."

Steve put his hand on Danny's arm. "Danno, I'm not just saying that because I want to get laid tonight. Of course, I'm the only person here who has seen you naked, but you've got a great body. And the rest of you is just as terrific."

Danny didn't know what to say, so he offered a toast. "To us."

Steve raised his glass to touch Danny's. "To us."

Steve and Danny went in together to get Grace. Rachel was ready to go upstairs for a nap before Charles got revved up for the night, but she wanted to see Danny. Her feelings for Danny and Stan were very confused. She knew that hormone fluctuations after delivery could be responsible for some of it, but she also knew that Danny would always have the ability to evoke strong emotions. That was why she acted with such animosity concerning custody and visitation after the divorce.

Steve did hold Danny's hand as they walked to the front door. Stan answered the door and immediately invited them in. "Grace has had a nice visit today. She keeps talking to Charles. Do you know what that's all about? I mean, it's great really. We were worried that Grace would never accept him. I thought that one of you two probably had something to do with it."

Danny laughed and told Stan about Steve's strategy. "Leave it to Steve to come up with an angle like that. It's good news that it worked. How's Leah working out for you?"

"She's terrific. It's made a big difference already. I'm going to call the other person Emelina recommended. Charles is up most of the night, and it would be helpful to have someone in two or three nights a week until we can get his schedule regulated."

Grace and Rachel came out when they heard the guys in the entry hall. Rachel noticed immediately that Steve had a death grip on Danny's hand and got the message. Danny looked fantastic in his t-shirt, board short, and slippers. Steve definitely had an influence on Danny's casual look. Rachel thought that Danny never looked happier. She imagined that Steve was taking very good care of Danny.

Rachel was holding Charles in the crook of her arm. Danny thought that Charles had changed some since delivery. He would have enjoyed holding the baby for a bit, but he knew that it was too soon. Grace would probably get upset, so Danny would bide his time. Danny could see that Rachel was getting tired, so he herded his family out after promising to bring Grace over for a while on Saturday.

Steve started laundry while Danny packed lunches. Grace went up to take her shower, and they read for a while before Grace went to bed. Steve and Danny flirted while they folded clothes. Danny was stuck on Steve's outrageous statement at dinner about hoping to get laid.

Danny couldn't seem to get enough sex with Steve these days. He thought it might be some sort of reaction to the stress of sitting through Rachel's labor and delivery, but it didn't really matter. He wanted Steve, and Steve was more than happy to comply. Steve was always there for him. They went upstairs as soon as their chores were done. It was McDanno time.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Steve and Danny deliberately made no plans for the weekend. Grace was scheduled to spend some time at her mother's house on Saturday, but that was the extent of their social calendar. Between the holidays, their ceremony, family from the mainland, and their time at the cabin, Steve and Danny had not been able to spend an entire weekend catching up on household chores since November. They decided it was time to do so.

They started the weekend with Friday night shopping. They ate first to keep from buying out the stores, and made the rounds from Wal-Mart for staples to the specialty stores for meat and produce. Steve started more laundry before they unloaded the car. The house was pretty neat, mostly because Steve was a little anal-retentive about clutter, but there was still a pile of old mail to disposition.

The plan was to clean the house in the morning, and move to the yard in the afternoon after dropping Grace off at the Edwards' home. It was not necessarily a fun way to spend their days off, but getting back to a normal schedule was comforting.

Danny sat down to catch a little TV before bedtime and wondered where his partner was. "Hey babe, are you coming in to join me?" Then he heard footsteps in the study heading his way. Steve walked in with a large picture tucked under his arm, and a hammer, a stud finder, and a picture hook in his hands. Danny watched Steve put the picture down, and then locate a spot to drive in the hook. Satisfied with the location, Steve quickly drove the hook into the stud and hung his picture.

It was a beautiful 11" x 17" photo of Steve, Danny, and Grace. Kono must have snapped it just as Steve and Danny leaned in for their first kiss as partners. Grace was looking back at them with a huge grin on her face. It was a perfect family shot as the love they shared was evident on their faces.

"Babe, when did you do this?" Danny loved the photo, and Steve had chosen a beautiful filigreed frame to show it off.

"Kono gave me a CD with some of the pictures she and the others took. I've got a big photo album for us, and smaller ones for the parents and Mary. I really liked this picture, so I had enlargements made. We also have an 8" x 10" version for our desks at work. I picked the smaller prints up a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't get the frames until tonight. The big picture was professionally framed by one of Chin's cousins. He put it in the Camaro trunk today while you were questioning that suspect."

Steve went into the kitchen and brought out a couple of beers. Danny was standing in front of the picture when Steve came back into the living room. "That was a really good day, wasn't it?" Danny had a silly grin on his face. He remembered the thrill when the priest introduced them as Steve and Danny McGarrett-Williams. He also remembered the obvious love in Steve's eyes as they shared that kiss.

"I would say it was the best, but every day with you is a little bit better." Steve put his arm around Danny and passed one of the beers to him. He leaned to the side and rested his head on Danny's head.

For the second time in two days, Steve paid Danny a wonderful compliment. Danny knew that last week Steve deliberately did whatever he could to bolster Danny's ego. Danny was battered emotionally after supporting Rachel through labor and delivery. "I'm okay now, just so you know. I've recovered from the events of the last week. You don't have to be extra nice to me."

Steve turned to Danny and pulled him close with his free hand. The kiss he planted on Danny's mouth was hard and wet. "Danno, I meant what I said, both last night and tonight. Every day with you is better that the last. Even our worst day together is better than my best day alone." Then Steve kissed him again to punctuate his point.

Danny managed to snag Steve's beer and put both bottles down before he pulled Steve down to the floor. It was a risk with Grace upstairs, but she seldom woke up during the night unless she was ill. Danny was beginning to wonder if Steve was putting something in his food, because lust hit him hard. "If you keep kissing me like that, I guess I'll have to believe you."

Steve pulled back from the kiss and looked directly at Danny. "Look at me, Danno. I mean every single word. I look at you and I want you. Every day with you is a miracle." Steve held his gaze until he saw that Danny believed him.

After that, they wrestled to get rid of their clothes. Steve and Danny both wanted to show how much this meant to them. As a result, control seesawed back and forth between them. When they mated, it was intense. After their release, they were breathless and a little bruised.

"Okay Steven, I believe you now. I might need convincing again later, but can we do it in bed? I think I'm getting too old to have sex on the floor like a horny teenage." Danny's knee was sore, and he was sure that he would have a big bruise on his hip in the morning.

"Yeah, me too. What is it with you and me? I've always enjoyed sex, but when I'm with you, it's like I need you now." Steve wasn't in a very comfortable position now, but he didn't want to release his hold on Danny.

"That's good to know. I thought I was the only one. Why don't we throw our shorts on, in case Grace decides to roam the hall, and take a soak in the tub? We can put these back in the fridge and get a couple of cold ones to take with us." Danny started to get up, but his knee protested.

Steve was able to stand and help Danny up. "Did I hurt your knee?"

"It's just a little sore. The warm water should help loosen it up, and I can ice it for the swelling."

Steve and Danny quickly showered while the tub filled. Then Steve climbed in the tub and motioned for Danny to sit in front of him. They sat for a while, drinking their beer and relishing the pulsing water against aching muscles. When the water turned cooled, they dried off and dressed. Danny pulled the covers down by himself when Steve disappeared.

Danny had just settled in bed when Steve came in with a pillow, a small towel, and an ice bag. Steve carefully lifted Danny's sore knee and settled the pillow underneath it. Then he wrapped the ice bag in the towel and draped it over Danny's knee.

Steve watched Danny carefully and could see the relief as the ice worked its magic. Then Steve sat at the foot of the bed and massaged Danny's foot. Steve hit the right spot, and Danny moaned. "Why is it that you rub my foot, and it makes my knee feel better?"

"It's magic, Danno. Just sit back and enjoy it." Steve watched as Danny's eyes grew glassy. He switched to the other foot even though Danny didn't have any pain on that side. Steve removed the ice bag after twenty minutes and tucked a sleeping Danny in. He smoothed the hair back from Danny's forehead and stroked his cheek.

Steve took the ice bag downstairs and stuck it back in the freezer. Danny might need it again tomorrow. Steve checked all the doors and set the alarm before going back upstairs to join Danny in bed. Steve rolled over on his side so that he could curl around Danny. He put his arm around Danny's midsection and his leg over Danny's thigh. He slowed his breathing to matching Danny's rhythm and was soon asleep.

Danny woke first, which was unusual. He was on his side, but Steve still had an arm around him. Danny carefully flexed his leg to see how much trouble his knee was going to give him today. To his surprise, he felt no pain. His knee was a little sore, but a dose of anti-inflammatories would keep him comfortable.

"How are you feeling today? I'm sorry Danny; I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise that I'll be more careful." Steve was running his hand up and down Danny's chest, dipping lower every time.

Danny rolled over to face Steve. "No, you will not. I'm not fragile, and you didn't hurt me. I hurt myself when I flipped you over so I could have my way with you. My knee is going to flare up no matter what I do. Besides, I have some vague memory of you taking care of me. Thank you." Danny leaned in for a sweet kiss. After their vigorous round of sex on the living room floor last night, Danny was content to take it easy this morning.

They bantered back and forth for a while. Steve knew that they should get up soon, but he wanted to wait for Grace to come in. It was part of their weekend ritual. It started the weekend after Danny officially moved in, and Steve always looked forward to it. Finally, he heard footsteps in the hall and the bathroom door closing.

A few minutes later, Grace tapped on the door. "You can come in, Monkey." Danny enjoyed this ritual too. Grace slipped under the covers and settled in. They talked about the chores they needed to complete and what time Grace would go to visit her mother today.

"Danno, I'm getting hungry. What's for breakfast?" Grace was in the mood for pancakes and wondered if she could convince Danno to make a big breakfast this morning.

"I don't know, Monkey. What sounds good this morning? I think we bought some blueberries last night. How does blueberry pancakes sound? What do you think, Steve?"

"I could go for some pancakes. I think we have some bacon too. Could you go for some pig meat, Danno?" Steve heard his stomach growl.

"Pig meat is good. Let's get this show on the road." Danny rolled out of bed and was pleased when his knee held up okay. He sent Grace off to get dressed and joined Steve in the bathroom. They dressed in old shorts and t-shirts before going downstairs to start breakfast.

It was a beautiful day, so they took their plates and drinks out to the lanai. Grace was upbeat about her visit today, and Danny took it as a positive sign that Grace was warming up to Charles. After breakfast, Steve asked Grace to bring her sheets and towels down to the laundry room. Steve had appointed himself in charge of laundry after he discovered that Danny didn't believe in sorting the clothes. Danny carried the cleaning supplies upstairs, and Steve took the vacuum cleaner up after he loaded the washer.

With the three of them working, it didn't take long to finish the second floor. Steve and Grace wouldn't let Danny clean any of the low spots. There was enough Danny could work on without aggravating his knee. Steve and Grace stripped the bed in the master bedroom and put clean sheets on both beds. They moved downstairs, stopping for a cold drink before they started on the kitchen.

It took another hour of steady work to finish the housework. Steve was able to finish the laundry after lunch before they took Grace over to Rachel's. Grace had changed into clean clothes, and Danny fixed her hair into one long braid. Stan offered to bring Grace back after dinner, and indication that things were going smoother.

The yard work took a little longer. Danny trimmed some of the bushes while Steve mowed the lawn. It was hot work, so Steve took a long swim when the work was finished. The house and yard looked great, and both Steve and Danny felt a sense of accomplishment when they showered late in the afternoon.

"Danno, do you want to go out to dinner with me?" Steve decided to pass on shaving today.

"You mean like a date?" Danny's knee was beginning to throb a little, and it would be a relief to sit while someone else served him.

"Yeah, like a date. I know a place that serves the best prime rib on the island. You look like you could use some red meat."

"Is that a come-on?"

"No, just an observation. I just want to take the man I love out for a nice meal." Steve stepped close to Danny and kissed him, a sweet kiss like Danny's this morning.

"In that case, I would love to go to dinner with the man I love." Danny returned his kiss but was careful not to move them past their playful mood. "Is there a dress code?"

Steve laughed. "Danny, it's Hawaii. You need to wear a shirt of some kind, and slippers will do just fine."

Danny called Rachel to let her know that they were going out and gave her an approximate return time. Steve was right about one thing: it had to be the best prime rib on the island. Danny was delighted to see New York cheesecake on the dessert menu. He was very full and content as Steve drove them home. The beers he had consumed with dinner dulled the ache in his knee. Danny was ready to put up his feet and watch a little TV.

Stan arrived with Grace shortly after the men returned home. Steve was surprised to see Rachel and Charles with them. Rachel was feeling much better today, and Stan took his family out for dinner too. Charles cooperated by sleeping through most of the meal. Grace had a nice visit again, entertaining Charles on the living floor before his afternoon feeding.

Stan and Rachel came in for a short time before going home. Rachel needed to change the baby. She noticed the picture on the living room wall almost immediately. Rachel realized when the photo must have been taken. Steve and Danny looked so happy. Rachel knew that she could never compete with Steve. It was time to go back to work on her marriage to Stan. There was no going back to Danny; that ship had sailed. Rachel could only move forward to a life with Stan as her husband and Danny as her friend. It would have to be enough.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Grace went upstairs to take a shower after her mother and Stan took Charlie home. She had a very nice time today with her other family, as she thought of them. Grace decided that Charles was pretty cool. Daddy Steve was right about one thing; Charles didn't know how to do anything except eat, dirty his diapers, and sleep. Grace had her work cut out for her.

Meanwhile, Steve steered Danny over to the couch and situated him so the Danny could prop his knee up. Steve retrieved a pillow and the ice bag so that Danny could ice his knee down. Then he sat at the foot of the couch and massaged Danny's feet again.

"You don't have to do this, you know. My knee doesn't hurt that much today."

"I don't mind, Danny. How many times have you and Grace nursed me back to health? It's kind of nice to take care of you for a change."

"Well, I'd tell you to stop, but that feels amazing. Thanks, babe. We got a lot done today; the house looks great, and so does the yard. When I was in my apartment, I missed having a place to take care of. Have I told you how much I like being in a house again?"

"Probably about as much as I enjoy having you in our house. Rachel seems like she's doing better."

"Yes, she does. I saw her looking at our picture over there. For a little while last week, I was sure that she would try to resume our affair from last year. You know that I would never do that, right?" Danny didn't want Steve to ever doubt him.

"I know, Danno. I know that you're over Rachel. I wouldn't have started anything with you if I didn't think that you were ready to let her go." Steve finished with the foot massage and moved so that he could work on the sore muscles around Danny's knee.

"Oh God, have I told you that you have magic hands? Well, I think we did a pretty good job of reminding her that we're together and nobody is going to break us up. The way you took us out of town last weekend really pissed her off, you big Neanderthal."

"Hey, we had a good time, didn't we?"

"We had a great time. But it made a point that I wouldn't be here to step in for Stan, especially since Stan was back. I think that Stan appreciated it too. Rachel had to depend on him this week, which is the way it should be. He is Charles' father. It doesn't hurt to say it so much anymore." Danny flashed a smile as he realized that it was true.

"That's good news. I could tell that you were pretty raw about it that morning in the hospital. It kills me to see you hurting like that. I just wanted to help you through it." Steve leaned over to kiss Danny.

Danny's knee didn't hurt anymore, and Steve's massage turned him on. Steve's hands always did that to him. Danny pulled Steve up so that he was mostly on top of him. Things were getting pretty steamy when they heard Grace coming downstairs.

Steve sat up like a shot and moved down to the end of the couch. He grabbed a throw pillow to hide his erection from Grace. He saw that Danny was doing the same. "We'll finish this later, Danno."

"You can bet on that, Steve. Just promise you'll be gentle with me, and that you'll respect me In the morning." Danny batted his eyes at Steve, doing his best imitation of a Southern belle.

Steve had a comeback ready but Grace was in the living room. Steve was pretty sure that she wouldn't get what he would say, but he wouldn't risk it. He was well aware that kids matured sexually at an earlier age than when he was a kid. He thought that it was sad that they shortened their childhood by doing so.

Danny swung his legs over so that Grace could sit between Steve and him. Steve took the ice pack back into the kitchen in case Danny needed it again later. He made a note to pick a couple of bigger ice packs from the medical supply place close to the Palace on Monday. It wasn't like they never got hurt on the job, so they would come in handy.

Grace wanted to watch a movie, so they settled in for the show. About halfway through the movie, Grace curled up against Danny. Steve took the opportunity to move closer so he could have move contact with Danny. He put his arm on the back of the couch so he could run his fingers through Danny's hair.

All Danny could think was that Steve was trying to drive him crazy. Between the earlier massage and the feel of Steve's fingers raking through his hair, Danny was rock hard. It was almost obscene with his baby girl sitting next to him. Danny did what he could to tamp down his desire. He thought about his last expense report. He thought about playing on the beach with Grace. And he thought about taking Steve upstairs and screwing his brains out. He was so distracted that he didn't notice that the movie had ended.

"Danny, I think we have a tired girl here. Why don't I carry her upstairs while you finish whatever it is that you're thinking about?" Steve couldn't keep the smirk off his face. He was quite aware of what he was doing to Danny.

"I can't finish with you upstairs and me down here. I'll check the doors and alarm and join you in just a few minutes." Danny vowed to make Steve pay for what he did.

Grace roused long enough to go to the bathroom and brush her teeth. She was tired from working all morning and playing with Charles most of the afternoon. She sleepily hugged her dads and went back to sleep.

Danny smiled sweetly at Steve. "After you, Steven." He let Steve precede him out of Grace's bedroom and down the hall. When they walked into their bedroom, Danny locked the door behind them. Danny walked over to the closet and pulled a couple of zip ties down from his supply. "You showed a blatant disrespect to a law enforcement officer down there. Pull down the covers, strip, and lay down on the middle of the bed."

Danny crossed his arms and kept his gaze cool. He showed every expectation that Steve would comply. Steve was torn between being amused and aroused. He went with aroused and did as Danny instructed. Steve tried to appear unaffected by Danny's instructions, and would have gotten away with it if a certain part of his anatomy wasn't standing at full attention.

"Now put your hands up by the bed frame." When Steve reached up to grab the wrought iron headboard, Danny used the ties to secure his hands. Then he walked around the bed, slowly removing his clothes. Danny made sure that he had Steve's full attention. Danny was equally aroused; he enjoyed these sex games and Steve was always ready to play along. It showed a lot of trust that Steve would let him do this. Steve was the only one Danny trusted enough to even try this.

Danny sat on the bed near Steve's waist. He idly ran his hands over Steve's abs. He liked watching the muscles ripple in response. Steve was ticklish, but Danny was careful not to move to his more sensitive spots. Danny moved a finger tip lower without touching the part of Steve that was begging for attention. He kept up this assault until the expression on Steve's face was almost pained.

"Mr. McGarrett-Williams, you are charged with inciting a law enforcement officer in front of his precious baby girl." Danny's hands kept moving, steering clear of Steve's erection.

"Don't you mean arousing an officer?" Steve made it sound like a sneer.

"And now you're compounding the infraction by further disrespect. You will be dealt with severely."

"Don't I get to enter a plea and offer a defense?"

"You can plead for mercy, but there is no defense."

"I can make it up to you, Officer McGarrett-Williams, if you'll just release my hands."

"No, I don't think so. I need to demonstrate what happens when the law isn't obeyed." Danny went to the closet and brought out his ugliest tie. He wouldn't want to wear it after tonight. Danny used the tie to blindfold Steve, and then he turned the lamps on low. Danny could see Steve, but between the blindfold and dim light, Steve could see nothing.

Danny kept Steve like that for over half an hour. He randomly touched, kissed, and licked various parts of Steve's body. He continued to avoid where Steve wanted his touch the most. Finally, Steve couldn't take it anymore. "Please, Danno."

"Please, what?" Danny spoke very softly into Steve's left ear.

"Please, I need you." Danny could hear the distress in Steve's voice. He decided it was time to give Steve some relief. He took Steve hard, taking his pleasure and giving Steve release. Steve came almost immediately, but Danny held out a little longer. Even after he came, he was still very turned on. It was the first time he controlled one of their sessions in such an extreme measure, and he was surprised that Steve let him do this.

"Danny, my hands. Please, I need to touch you." Danny reached up to the window sill where he had put a pocket knife. He quickly cut the ties and massaged Steve's wrists. Steve pulled out of his grasp to remove the blindfold before he pulled Danny down for a hard kiss.

"Were you trying to kill me, Danno? I think my heart stopped." Steve held Danny tightly as if he was afraid the man would leave him.

Danny was breathing hard; he had a roaring sound in his ears. "Babe, we would have gone together. Are you okay?" Danny worried that he might have pushed Steve too hard.

"You are a crazy man; I never expected that from you." Steve was trying to catch his breath.

Now Danny was worried. Had he crossed the line? "Babe, I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away." Danny tried to say more, but it was hard to talk with Steve's mouth on his.

"Don't you dare apologize. Let me finish. I don't think I've ever been that hard. Tell me what I have to do for a repeat performance." Steve was a little sore and ready for some sleep, but he wouldn't let Danny have any second thoughts about what happened in their bedroom tonight.

"You want to do that again right now? You'll have to give me a few minutes. I'm not eighteen anymore." Danny was so relieved he almost cried.

Steve laughed and kissed Danny, softer this time. "Neither of us are eighteen anymore. No, not this minute, but someday really soon. You were absolutely amazing. I'll be turned on every time I think about it. Can I keep the tie?"

Danny rested his head on Steve's chest, listening to his heart beat. It was slowing to a more normal pace and Danny liked listening to the steady rhythm. Danny was still high on adrenalin; he could close his eyes and remember how Steve's muscles quivered under his touch. It made him feel powerful to evoke such a strong response from Steve.

"You want my tie? Sure, it's not like I'll ever be able to wear it again. I'd be walking around with this giant woody. That would do a lot for my professional image."

Steve was laughing so hard now that he could barely talk. "Danno, how do you think I'm going to feel the next time that you use a zip tie to secure a prisoner. I swear, I'll have that image of you walking around naked while I'm tied to the bed."

Danny groaned. Now he would have the same image. "Thanks, Steven. Maybe the perp will think I have another gun in my pocket." Steve was still laughing, which prompted Danny to laugh. Finally, Danny raised his head to look at Steve. "So we're good here."

Steve raked his fingers through Danny's hair. "We're more than good, Danny. We're the best. Do you want to join me in the shower?"

"Yeah, I think we need one." Danny carefully moved off the bed. He tested his knee to see how it was holding up. It was a little stiff, but there was no pain.

Steve gracefully rolled off the other side of the bed and went into the bathroom to start the shower. Danny joined him just as the water was warming up. They showered quickly and dressed before crawling back into bed. Steve pulled Danny close and kissed him. "I love you Danno.

Danny draped his arm over Steve's chest and his leg over Steve's thigh. He sighed contentedly. "I love you too Steve. Now go to sleep."

"Yes dear," was all Steve could say before he drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would be another day and another adventure for the McGarrett-Williams family.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Sunday began innocuously enough. Steve woke up early and went for his run and swim. He was showered and back in bed just in time to spend a little time with Danny and Grace. They decided to go to church, so breakfast was a quick bowl of oatmeal and toast.

Steve, Danny, and Grace were getting comfortable with the congregation and the pastor. Grace asked if they could stay for fellowship after the service. She recognized one of her friends from school and wanted to say 'hi'.

"What do you think, Steve? Do you want to go down for coffee and doughnuts?" Danny hadn't eaten a doughnut in over a year, not when he could have a malasadas.

"I'm not so sure about the doughnut part, but I could use another cup of coffee. Besides, if we're going to continue to attend services here, we might as well get to know a few people." Privately, Steve was a little worried about how they would be accepted. The pastor had been gracious every time they spoke, but he had his doubts about everyone else.

Grace led her dads to the church hall where several families were already in line for refreshments. When they reached tables with the doughnuts and drinks, Grace took a glazed doughnut with chocolate icing and a cup of fruit punch. "Danno, can I go talk to my friend?"

Danny looked around the room and saw no suspicious or dangerous characters. He looked at Steve, who had done a danger assessment as soon as they entered the building. "I don't see a problem with that, Danny."

"Okay Grace, you can go, but stay in the building. Oh, Steve and I would like to meet your friend." Danny imagined that Steve would have to tolerate another round of adulation from one of Grace's little girlfriends. He noticed that the kids all made a point of greeting Commander McGarrett whenever Steve was with them to drop Grace off on school mornings.

Danny watched Grace disappear into the crowd of families. He stood with Steve a little awkwardly until the pastor rescued them. "Steve, Danny, let me introduce you to some of our members. It's the first time that you've come to fellowship, isn't it?"

Steve and Danny joined several couples standing on one side of the room. Most of the people knew who they were, and that they were a couple. Everyone seemed pleased to be introduced to the handsome couple. Steve was in hyper-SEAL mode, memorizing names and watching for anything suspicious. Only Danny was aware of what Steve was doing. Just as Danny was beginning to relax, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

It was Grace, and she wanted her dads to meet her friend, Jason. When Steve saw the look on Danny's face, his first instinct was to draw his weapon and go into a defensive stance. Then he saw what put that look on Danny's face. Grace was holding hands and gazing adoringly at a boy who looked to be at least two years older than Grace. Steve did a mental review of how far into puberty the boy might be at 12.

"Danno, Daddy, this is Jason Parker. He goes to my school."

Steve had to nudge Danny into action. "Jason, it's nice to meet you. I'm Grace's dad, Danny McGarrett-Williams. This is Grace's other dad, Steve McGarrett-Williams." Danny glanced over at Steve and saw that Steve was in super scary SEAL mode. Danny would need to thank him for that later.

"Hi, Jason. I'm glad that Grace brought you over so that we could meet. Are you in Grace's grade?" Usually Steve would stoop down to talk to kids; Danny thought that Steve might have grown a couple of inches just to intimidate the kid this time.

"I'm happy to meet you, sirs. Grace talks about you all the time, and of course, a lot of us saw you take care of the school bullies. I'm in the sixth grade. Most people think I'm older because I'm so tall. Grace and I are in the school choir together." Jason thought Grace's dads were intimidating when they walked Pratt and his buddy to the principal's office. The shorter man wasn't too bad up close, but the tall dark-haired man was downright scary.

Jason was saved by the arrival of his parents, Christie and Ed Parker. Christie recognized the men from the school; she also noticed that they periodically attended the early service. The men had been the subject of many conversations in the school parking lot since the start of the school year. There were some who thought it was disgraceful that two men (or two women) were raising a child, and even worse that the child was going to their school. From what Christie could tell, Steve and Danny McGarrett-Williams were doing an excellent job taking care of Grace. Christie knew that Grace's mother and step-father shared custody, but apparently Grace was with the men most of the time.

"Jason, there you are. Is this your friend, Grace? Hi, we're Jason's parents. I'm Christie, and this is Ed. Jason talks about Grace all the time. She has a lovely voice. This is her first year in the school choir, isn't it?" Christie was aware that the taller man's death glare was scaring Jason just a little. She knew that Grace had a little crush on Jason.

Jason thought that Grace was cool enough for a girl, but he was really impressed with her fathers. His father was a stock broker, which was so boring. Jason listened to his father on business calls from his den over the years, and he couldn't imagine getting stuck reading numbers all day for a living. Grace's Danno was from New Jersey, and he's a detective with 5-0. Jason knew that 5-0 took on the biggest and toughest cases. He remembered reading about how 5-0 rescued a busload of school kids earlier in the month.

Grace's other dad, the one she called Daddy, was a Navy SEAL. He ran 5-0, and Jason had seen pictures of Commander Steve McGarrett wearing in his vest with guns and extra clips strapped on everywhere. Jason was surprised that the bad guys didn't take one look at the commander and give up without firing a shot.

Danny realized that Christie Parker had paid Grace a compliment and that etiquette required that he respond in kind. "Yes, this is her first year in choir. She wanted to join before, but she had to wait until she was in 5th grade. The choir always does a nice job. Steve and I enjoyed the Christmas concert; all of our 5-0 team was able to attend with us this year."

"We were going to our country club for brunch. Would you like to join us as our guests? It would give the kids a chance to visit." Christie wanted to get to know the couple better. Besides, they would end up sitting with some of Ed's clients if she didn't come up with an alternative, and she shared her son's views on the inner workings of the stock market.

There was no way that Danny wanted the kid to spend any more time with Grace if he could help it. One look at Steve told him that Steve was on the same page. He was quickly going through his list of excuses when Steve spoke up.

"Christie, that's a very gracious offer, but we have a prior commitment. Maybe we can make it on another day. It was nice meeting you, Ed, and you too, Jason. Grace, if you're finished with your drink, we need to get going." Steve herded them out of the church hall as quickly as etiquette would allow.

"Daddy, I thought that we weren't doing anything today. I wanted to have lunch with Jason and his family." Grace was pouting, something that she seldom did. Danny prayed that Steve had something in mind for today.

"Grace, it was supposed to be a surprise. I need to make a phone call to see if the arrangements are complete. I'll do that as soon as we get home. Now buckle up, or we won't be going anywhere." Steve was going through possibilities for the afternoon. He knew that it would need to be something out of the ordinary, or Grace would see through the lie. He hated lying to her, but the last thing on earth he wanted to do was to suffer through brunch with Buffy (or whatever the hell her name was) at the country club. That he would also be stuck with Ed while Grace hung on Jason's every word made the idea much worse.

Steve ran upstairs when they got home and called around until he found a helicopter that he could rent for the afternoon. Danny came into the bedroom just as Steve ended his call. "Danny, I've got a helicopter for this afternoon. I want to take Grace to see the glyphs. Well, I want you to come too. I can fly us close enough that it will only be a short hike for us. We can throw a picnic lunch together and take the camera. I promise not to fall down a cliff this time, and we'll take the sat phone in case of emergency. How does that sound?"

Danny closed his eyes and did the math. On the pro side, Grace would be thrilled and maybe forget about Jason, at least for a little while. On the con side, his crazy partner was a trouble magnet and all kinds of calamity could occur. On the pro side, at least they weren't eating brunch at the country club with Christie and Ed. Danny was sure that Christie was eye-humping Steve, and equally sure that Steve was unaware of it. On the con side, he hated flying in anything that didn't hold at least 300 people.

"I think that Grace will love it, and that it beats the alternative. I guess I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything, Danny. I don't know who freaked me out the most, Jason, Christie, or Ed."

"I get Jason. Why did Christie and Ed freak you out?"

"Danny, Ed was like some sort of Stepford husband. He looked good on Christie's arm, but he never said anything. And Christie was eye-humping me; I think that's what you called it. I'm pretty sure she would make it a point to sit next to me at brunch, and that her hand would end up on my thigh. Then she would repeat every word that we said to all of her friends. I would be getting phone calls at work, asking me to take care of some made-up problem." Steve never told Danny about some of the come-ons he had received since they came out. He wasn't sure if they wanted to be able to brag to their friends that they had 'turned' Steve back to women, or if they just liked the idea of coming between Danny and him. Either way, he was so not interested.

"Babe, I didn't think you knew." Danny was really surprised; he always thought that Steve was kind of clueless when it came to woman flirting with him.

"Of course I knew. Just because I don't react doesn't mean that I don't know what they're doing. Now, should we tell Grace? We have just enough time to change clothes and pack lunch." Steve was already stripped down to his boxer briefs.

"I'll tell Grace to change; you can tell her while we pack food. It's your idea, and you should get the hug. Thanks, babe. Grace will love having you fly us around, and she'll love the glyphs. I'm looking forward to it too. Just promise me that we won't find any more dead bodies."

"I'll do my best to keep this trip trouble-free. I'm excited to take Grace with us this time. We'll have to take in a Yankees game when we go to Jersey next summer. Rachel can take her to a spa when she's old enough."

Predictably, Grace was thrilled with their plans for the afternoon. Steve made sure that they were all appropriately attired for the afternoon, and that the sat phone and first aid kit were packed. Steve and Danny made sandwiches and packed plenty of water and other snacks for the afternoon.

It was a beautiful afternoon, and Steve was an excellent tour guide. He told Grace how he used to make the trip with his dad, and how he wanted to share the glyphs with her and Danno. Danny was pleased that they didn't stumble over any dead bodies on this trip, and Steve was very careful not to fall.

Grace took a lot of picture with their digital camera. She had a report to write up soon for her social studies class, and she thought the glyphs would make an excellent topic. She knew that she would get extra credit for the pictures.

Grace was undecided about whether Daddy had this trip planned all along or if he came up with it as an excuse to avoid lunch with Jason and his parents. Grace really liked Jason. Although he was a year older, he didn't tease her the way that some of his friends teased the other fifth graders. She was smart enough to know that Danno and Daddy weren't thrilled to see her with Jason today. She was also aware of the fact that a lot of the kids at school, Jason included, thought her dads were super cool. The boys in particular wanted to meet Daddy.

Grace had grown used to having kids she hardly knew inviting her to parties and sleepovers. She wanted to be nice, so she usually made up some excuse to decline their invitations. Grace had enough of attending parties where she didn't know anyone when her other family was part of the country club set. Grace always felt ill at ease there, and she suspected that was why Daddy brought them here today. He probably didn't want to go to the country club either.

Meanwhile, Steve was wrestling with the lie that he told Grace. He promised that he would always be truthful, but he wasn't sure how to explain the situation to Grace. He was cool with his statement to the Parkers. He did have plans for the day; he wanted to spend hanging out with his family. That didn't include spending a couple of hours eating lunch with a self-absorbed couple while dodging the amorous advances of the wife.

"Daddy, I'm relieved that we didn't go to lunch with Jason and his mom and dad. I like Jason, but his parents are kind of dorky, and I don't like the country club." Grace wanted to see if Daddy felt the same way.

Steve laughed at her assessment of the Parkers. "I have to agree with you, Grace. Jason seems like a nice boy, but I wasn't impressed with his parents. And you will not repeat that to anyone."

"Daddy, did you really have this planned before today?" Grace pinned him with a stare that would have made her Nana proud.

Steve decided that he owed her the truth. "I might have overstated that a little. I did tell Danno that I wanted to bring you up here, and I did decide to take you flying again when you talked about how much you enjoyed it with your cousin Lucy last month. I didn't book the chopper until today." Steve was a little sheepish at the admission.

Grace patted his back. "It's good to tell the truth. Danno always told me that the punishment would be worse if I didn't tell the truth. Danno, do we have to punish Daddy? I think he's learned his lesson."

Danny really wanted to laugh, but Grace was so earnest. It was partly his fault. He didn't want to go to brunch either, but he couldn't think of any way to get out of it. "I think you're right, Grace. Daddy has probably learned from his mistake today. Maybe we can make a new family rule. Whenever we get an invitation we don't want to accept, we can just say that we have other plans. That way, we can be polite and still tell the truth. For example, none of us ever expected to get stuck at a stuffy old country club for lunch. We planned to have a fun lunch. Ergo, we had other plans."

Steve was never so happy to hear an 'ergo' in his life. "I think that's a good new rule, Danno. I'm relieved that you understand, Grace. And Grace, you do realize that you're too young to have a boyfriend, don't you?"

"Yes Daddy, but Jason isn't my boyfriend. I just kind of like him. My friends and I think that he's kind of cute. Timmy Houston is the cutest boy in school, but he's an eighth-grader and won't even look at the fifth-graders."

Danny was stunned to hear that Grace and her friends were talking about boys. She still played with her Barbie dolls and slept with her pillow pal. "Grace Lynn Williams, you are too young to be talking about boys."

Grace rolled her eyes at Danny. "Danno, I am talking about boys; ergo, I'm not too young to be talking about boys."

Steve started to laugh but thought better of it after the look Danny gave him. Grace sounded so much like Danny at that moment that Steve couldn't help himself.

Danny knew that Steve was enjoying the exchange between him and Grace. Grace was developing quite a smart mouth, and he recognized that at the moment, she sounded just like him. He supposed that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. "Listen to me, young lady. You should not be thinking about boys. You are really too young to be doing that. There's plenty of time for that later. Just enjoy being a kid."

"Danno's right, Grace. You're in the fifth grade. After this year, you still have seven years before you graduate from high school. Then there's college and maybe grad school. You'll eventually start dating in high school, but for now, you should be hanging out with your friends." Steve was serious now; it was important for Grace to stay focused on her family, friends, and school work.

Grace leaned over to give both her dads a hug. "Okay, I understand. None of the boys can measure up to you or Danno anyway." It really was okay. She had a lot going on in her life without worrying about boys. And she was telling the truth about one thing: it would be difficult to find a young man who would measure up to Danny or Steve.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Steve and Danny sat by the beach drinking beer. It had been a busy Sunday. The afternoon trip to the glyphs had been a huge success. Grace was asking questions about the symbols all the way home. Steve owed the helicopter owner a huge favor for coming through for him on such short notice.

After leaving the cliffs, Steve flew Grace and Danny by some of the beautiful waterfalls before heading back to the airfield. They ended the afternoon at Danny's favorite pizza place, where they ordered one Hawaiian pizza and one pepperoni pizza. Grace was exhausted by the time her head hit her pillow.

Now the guys were enjoying some quite time together. Steve was feeling a little tired too. Playing pilot and tour guide took a lot out of him. He was worried about Danny's knee. Even though Steve landed close to the glyphs, they still had quite a hike. It was nice just to sit and rest for a while.

Danny felt the same way. It had been a busy weekend, and today took its toll on him. His knee was aching, and he knew that he should go in to ice it down. Danny just couldn't muster the energy, and he was enjoying the time now with Steve. The chairs were situated close enough that the arms were touching so Steve and Danny could sit and comfortably hold hands the way that they were now.

Steve noticed the third time that Danny shifted in his chair. "I know it's still a little early, but I'd like to go in and get a shower. There's an article I'd like to read before we turn in for the night. Are you ready to go in?"

"Sure, give me a hand, will you?" Danny offered his free hand and allowed Steve to pull him out of the chair. Danny held onto the hand as they walked into the house. While Steve locked up and set the alarm, Danny stowed the empty bottles and retrieved the ice pack from the freezer.

Steve let Danny take his shower first so he could pull the covers down and arrange the extra pillow for Danny's knee. He put an Aleve and a bottle of water on the night stand and got out his bottle of massage lotion. When Danny came out of the bathroom, he was relieved to see Steve's preparations. The pain had worsened just in the time it took to walk into the house and up the stairs to take his shower.

"Danny, leave your pants off for now. I want to work on some of those muscles when I get out of the shower." Steve gave Danny the Aleve and guided Danny into position. He wrapped the ice pack in a towel and placed it on Danny's knee. Steve quickly took his shower and was pleased to see that Danny looked a little more comfortable when he came out.

Steve sat on the side of the bed and poured some lotion on his hand. He smoothed it between both hands to warm it before slowly massaging the muscles under Danny's knee. Danny moaned at the additional relief Steve's massage was giving him. "Danny, when was the last time a doctor looked at your knee?"

Danny was enjoying Steve's attention very much. It was more than the pain relief. For years, Danny was the one who took care of everyone else. It was almost a guilty pleasure to let Steve do this for him. He knew that he had taken care of Steve on more than one occasion, but he was still inordinately delighted to have the big man look after him. "It's been over a year. The doctor said that I would eventually need surgery, but I could probably wait a few years."

"Did the doctor or the physical therapists give you any exercises you could do to strengthen your knee until then?"

Danny looked a little sheepish. "Uh, I think I have a paper somewhere here with some exercises."

Steve knew how busy Danny was with 5-0 and Grace plus keeping things up around the house, but he couldn't let Danny slide on the issue. "Do you think you could find the paper, or we could call and get you a new list? It's important to Grace and me that you take care of yourself."

"I tried to keep up with them, but I need a partner to help me with some of them. Back then, I didn't have anyone to help."

"Danny, I wish you would have told me. Even though we weren't together then, I would have helped you."

"I know that." Danny reddened and mumbled something.

"What did you say, Danny?" Steve stopped what he was doing to look into Danny's eyes. The eyes always told him a lot.

"I didn't want you to think that I was weak. I didn't want you to think that you had to be careful around me." Danny didn't want to look at Steve when he said this, but he had a hard time breaking Steve's gaze.

Steve closed his eyes and sighed. "Danny, I know that I was a total jerk when you first hurt your knee. I kind of liked you even then, and I didn't always know what to say."

Amusement showed in Danny's eyes now. "So calling it a little boo-boo was sort of like dipping my pigtails into the inkwell?"

Steve could see that Danny understood and forgave him. "Yeah, kind of like that. But I never once thought you were weak or that you couldn't do your job, once you healed up anyway. That's beside the point now. Tomorrow, I want you to dig out your exercise sheet. I'll help you with them, and I'm sure Grace would be willing to help too. Do we have a deal?" Steve offered his hand to Danny.

Danny took Steve's hand, and instead of shaking it, used it to pull Steve closer. "I'd rather seal the deal this way." He kissed Steve very sweetly. The second kiss was much longer with more heat than sweetness.

Steve pulled away and looked at Danny's eyes again. He couldn't mistake the passion, not after all the months they had been together. "Danny, you know I want you. I always want you. But your knee is bothering you, and I don't want to make it worse."

"Steven, you of all people understand the concept of endorphins and everything. This will make me feel better, a lot better. Trust me." There was an unmistakable twinkle in Danny's eyes now.

Steve knew that there was no way he could turn Danny down, but he would be careful. "Okay, but let me do all the work. I don't want to hurt you." Steve removed the ice pack and extra pillow, and then his boxer briefs. Then he helped Danny out of his t-shirt and boxers.

Steve was very gentle with Danny. Danny wanted to protest, but the pleasure was too great. They had a lot of variety in their sex life, but this was something new. Steve felt it too. He paid a lot of attention to every part of Danny's body. Every time he moved to a new part, he would ask, "Is this okay?" All Danny could do was nod his approval.

Danny wanted to touch Steve too, but his limbs were too heavy. When Steve couldn't delay any longer, he rolled Danny on his side and took him. Steve moved slowly to avoid jostling Danny's sore knee, and Danny thought the pleasure would go on forever. Steve was enjoying this position; it allowed his free hand easy access to Danny's body.

Danny came without warning. It was enough to send Steve over the edge. Steve held Danny close until their hearts slowed to a more normal rhythm. "Are you still with me, Danno?"

"There's no place I'd rather be. Thank you. That was amazing! My knee doesn't hurt at all. Damn, nothing hurts. I knew that I was right about the endorphins."

"Good, mission accomplished. Stay here; I'll be right back." Steve disengaged and rolled off the bed. He went into the bathroom and came back with a warm washcloth and towel. Steve carefully cleaned Danny up and re-dressed him. Then he went back into the bathroom to take care of his own needs. Steve was dressed in sleep clothes when he came back into the bedroom. Steve made sure the bedroom door was unlocked before turning out the light and climbing into bed.

Steve pulled Danny close, careful not to hurt him. Danny was almost asleep, but he curled around Steve instinctively. They were both asleep in minutes.

Monday proved to be tedious. Steve and Danny were scheduled to testify in court. Danny didn't mind being off the streets today. It gave him time to finish a book he had received as a Christmas gift, and it gave him a day to rest his knee. It was predictably sore again this morning, but Steve massaged some balm into his knee and surrounding muscles before Danny dressed. That and an Aleve was keeping Danny comfortable.

That was more than he could say for Steve. Steve's ADHD was out in full force today. Steve paced the hall in the early morning hours. There was no way of knowing when they would be called, so they were stuck there for the day. Then he switched to 'Angry Birds' on his smart phone. After an hour of that, Steve started on a very Danny-like rant about all the stupid games on his phone. Surprisingly, Steve was very inept at his game, and it really pissed him off.

When lunch was announced, Danny dragged Steve out of the courthouse and to a nearby open-area mall. They ate outside at one of the cafes. Danny insisted that they stop at a bookstore before going back to wait their turn. "Steven, find something to occupy yourself. I don't care what you get. 'Guns and Ammo' must have a new issue. I will gladly pay for it if it will keep you happy for the afternoon."

When Steve wanted to stop by Starbucks for coffee, Danny vetoed the idea. "You're too hyper as it is. And look at you! You were all nice and neat when we left the house. Now your shirttail is out on one side, and you've got dirt on your trousers." Danny straightened the collar of Steve's shirt and helped him dust off the seat of his pants. He wanted to tuck in the shirttail but thought better of it in public. Danny had a glimpse of what Steve's mother must have gone through on a daily basis and smiled.

The afternoon went marginally better than the morning. Neither man had been called to testify when court was adjourned at 3 p.m. That meant that they would need to return tomorrow. Steve was frustrated to think that he would be cooling his heels for another day, but Danny was philosophical. When Steve tired of his magazine, Danny kept him occupied with stories from his early patrol days.

They went back to HQ for the remainder of the day. Chin was holding down the fort and had little to report. Lori and Kono were questioning some suspects for HPD while Chin ran some database searches. Everyone went home on time without any injuries or even dirty clothes (except for Steve, who had a grass stain on his left pant leg). Steve drove them to pick Grace up at Emelina's. Danny lingered long enough to play with Waldo for a few minutes.

When they arrived home, Steve reminded Danny that he would be doing his physical therapy tonight. Danny spent a few minutes finding his exercise instructions, and read his book propped up on the bed until Steve called him down for supper. He decided that if Steve was going to make him work after supper, he might as well take it easy now. Steve made chicken fajitas with Spanish rice and a salad for their meal. Even Grace, whose taste in Mexican food ran to only tacos and nachos, enjoyed the spicy meat with peppers and onions.

Steve and Grace cleared the table and washed the dishes while Danny did his warm-up exercises. Danny wasn't looking forward to his therapy session. He knew that Steve would be demanding (like any good therapist), and that his knee would ache like a bitch when he was finished. Unfortunately, Danny was correct in both assumptions. It didn't help that Grace was on the floor exercising with him, or that Steve peppered his instructions with 'babe'.

When Danny completed his last set of reps, Steve helped him up and guided him over to the couch. His ice pack and pillow appeared, and Danny sighed in relief when Steve laid the pack over Danny's knee. Grace brought Danny a tall glass of water and found one of his favorite movies on TV. When Steve starting massaging the sore muscles, Danny thought that maybe this wasn't such a bad deal after all. He got out of cooking supper and washing dishes, and now Steve and Grace were waiting on him. He also knew that his knee would feel much better in a few weeks. Until then, Steve and Grace would take care of him.

_I've had both knees replaced (16 months apart) so I can tell you from experience: 1) physical therapy hurts like hell; 2) ice is your friend; and most importantly 3) you will feel so much better when it's over. I had hoped to wait 2 or 3 years for the second surgery, but scheduled it immediately when it became painful enough to use a cane. It's so great to have my life back._


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Steve rolled out of bed early on Tuesday to work out with his HPD group. Danny was sleeping comfortably, which was a relief for Steve. He could tell that Danny was limping slightly yesterday even before his therapy session after supper. Steve worried that pain would keep Danny awake last night. He considered taking Danny back to the doctor for a re-evaluation; maybe Danny needed a more potent pain reliever that he could get over the counter.

Of course, it was possible that endorphins were keeping the pain manageable. Last night, Steve helped Danny up the stairs when Grace went to bed. Danny pulled him into the bedroom and insisted that he needed something extra for the pain. Before Steve could go for his stash left over from his North Korean escapade, Danny pulled him down to the bed.

"Come on, babe. You've got to do this for me. You had your hands on me this morning and again tonight. We got to hang out at the courthouse all day where I couldn't touch you at all except to dust off your ass. I did those stupid exercises like you wanted. Now it's my turn."

"So let me get this straight. We need to have sex because I helped you with your physical therapy and massaged your knee to help with the pain."

When Steve put it like that, it sounded stupid. Danny needed to put a different spin on it if he wanted to get laid. "We need to have sex because it turns me on when you touch me. And you touched me a lot today. I'm going to be really stressed out if you leave me hanging like this, and you know that stress can make the pain worse."

Steve's mouth twitched at Danny's twisted logic. "You realize that you could probably sell this a little more easily if we were in the backseat of the Marquis. Because what you're selling sounds like a sixteen year old guy trying to talk his girl out of her pants."

"Babe, I would be thrilled to do it in the back seat of your car, but we need to wait until my knee is better. We could do it in this nice comfy bed, and you can pretend that you're stuffing your long legs in the back seat of the car if it will get you in the mood."

Steve couldn't help it. He laughed long and hard. When Danny looked hurt and deflated, Steve knew he needed to pull himself together. "Danno, it's like I told you last night. I always want you. I'm not laughing at you. I'm just enjoying our verbal foreplay. It turns me on."

Danny looked hopeful. "Verbal foreplay? Is that what this is?"

"Are you kidding me? Do you know what our 'carguments' used to do to me? For the longest time, I lied to myself that I just had a little crush on you. When I realized that I was thinking of you when I jerked off in the shower, I knew that my feelings were much deeper." Steve blushed at the admission.

"You were thinking of me when you jerked off in the shower, and you're just telling me now? When did that start?"

Steve started to protest that it didn't matter until he saw the interest in Danny's eyes. Steve decided that maybe Danny needed to hear it. Rachel destroyed most of Danny's self esteem after the divorce, and HPD finished the job for her. Steve closed his eyes and tried to remember when his feelings for Danny started.

"God, Danny, it's been so long. I think it started when we set up surveillance at Rachel's." Danny started to say something, but Steve held up his hand to forestall the interruption. "No, let me finish. It was the first time I met Rachel, and I really wanted to deck her for what she put you through. Then we spent the rest of the day in that bedroom with the oversized bed. You do realize that it's the same size as our bed here. Anyway, I thought about the two of you, you and Rachel, in bed and it made me…."

As Steve searched for the right word, Danny volunteered, "Jealous?"

Steve blushed again and nodded. "Yeah, I was jealous. Then you talked about your house in Weehawken, and all I could think about was how it would be to live with you. You know, sleeping together and sharing meals and everything else. Then my mind wandered to you and me in that bed. Honestly Danny, it took every ounce of my SEAL training to stay focused on the job."

Danny was wearing a big goofy grin. Steve didn't think that he had seen one quite like it on Danny. "When we finished the case and I had time to think about where my mind had been, I was pretty confused. After all, I was still seeing Catherine every now and then. And the times in between, I had to…." Steve paused again, a little embarrassed by his admission. It was stupid really. He and Danny had been intimate pretty much in every way that two people could.

"Steven, I jerked off too. It's okay to say it. I always thought that if men weren't meant to jerk off, then God wouldn't have put our equipment in such a convenient location." Danny was both amused and charmed with Steve now.

Steve flashed a grin and went on with his explanation. "When I jerked off, I used to think of Catherine. I played it fast and loose when I was younger, but the last few years, it was mostly only Catherine. I didn't trust anyone enough to just pick someone up at a bar or something. One night, I woke up from a really erotic dream and needed relief. Just before I came, I remembered who was in my dream. It was you, and we were doing amazing things. After that, I thought of you and about my dream when I jerked off."

"Okay, that's enough. Now you have to do me. Do you have any idea what this whole conversation has done to me?" Danny grabbed Steve's hand and placed it on Danny's erection.

Steve was equally aroused, but he would need to control it if he didn't want to hurt Danny. He had this movie in his head where Danny is in the emergency room to get his knee checked out and the nurse asks how he injured his knee. "Rough sex with my Neanderthal partner" would be permanently part of Danny's medical record and any insurance file. He really couldn't deal with that.

"I feel the same way, but we're going to take it slow and easy again. It won't do you any good to do therapy on your knee if I hurt you later in bed." Steve waited until he saw that Danny understood and agreed.

Steve had to admit that slowing down had its advantages. Remembering their lovemaking from last night, Steve found it difficult to leave Danny this morning. He decided to take his personal tablet to the courthouse today and do a little research. Steve wanted to check for alternatives that might help Danny, and he wanted ideas for other positions they could use until Danny's knee improved.

Steve finished with his group in time to run a couple of errands after his shower. Steve stopped by the medical supply store and picked up extra cold packs; he selected two medium and two large packs. The larger packs would wrap entirely around Danny's knee. Then he stopped by Starbucks and bought two coffees. Danny was waiting for him outside the courtroom, looking a little restless.

"Is one of those for me? Thanks, babe. I missed you this morning." Danny's knee was very stiff, and he had a difficult time getting dressed.

"I missed you too. How are you doing? Is your knee giving you trouble today?"

"Yeah, it stiffened up a lot overnight. I tried massaging some of that stuff you use, but I couldn't get the right angle. I considered bringing it here and maybe we could duck in the restroom, but then I thought how that would look. The press would have a field day with a story like that."

"Danny, we had a long lunch adjournment yesterday. If we have that again today, we should be able to go by the house. I can take care of it then, and we can eat out on the lanai. There's leftover pizza from Sunday in the fridge. How's the pain? Can you make it through the morning?" Steve was really concerned about Danny.

"That sounds like a good plan. I can make it until lunch. Did you finish your magazine already? I can't take it if you pace the halls again."

"I brought something better. I wanted to see if there is anything more than we can do for you." Steve pulled out his tablet and logged in. He did searches on knee pain and treatment of knee injuries. "Danny, are you taking glucosamine chondroitin?"

"Am I what?"

"Several sites are recommending glucosamine or a glucosamine chondroitin compound to keep your joints healthy. I know the original injury was a muscle tear, but that can impact the joint also. It can't hurt, and it might help in the long run. We can stop by Walgreen's on the way home. Is Grace going to Rachel's after school again?"

"Yeah, we're still trying to play it by ear. It depends on whether Emelina has time to take Grace and how much sleep Rachel is getting. Rachel said Charles was up most of the night on Sunday, so she wanted to sleep when he did yesterday." Danny did not miss being at the mercy of an infant's schedule. He enjoyed his evenings just the way that they were. The last two nights had been amazing. Danny's injury was bringing out a tender side to Steve than Danny found very appealing. Their conversation was very enlightening. Danny had no idea that Steve's feelings for him started so much earlier than last spring.

Danny spent some time this morning trying to decide when his feelings for Steve started. He knew that his obsession with Rachel obscured what was developing between Steve and him until Rachel's return from New Jersey last May. But Danny could remember waking up on his sofa bed with a raging hard-on and thoughts of Steve lurking on the edges of a dream. He tried to tell himself that it was because of some lunatic stunt Steve had pulled on their latest case, but now Danny realized that it was because he was falling in love with Steve.

The timing between the day he decided it was time to give up on any further reconciliation with Rachel and the day he realized that he loved Steve was too short. Looking back, Danny could see that there were signs that first weekend when he moved in with Steve. Steve invaded his personal space several times over the weekend. He put his arm around Danny and held his hand. Danny remembered the comfort Steve's touch gave him, and how thrilled he was to see Steve and Grace together. Oh yeah, the signs were there if only he hadn't been so preoccupied with other things.

"Danno, where did you go? You kind of zoned out on me." Steve was talking about plans for tonight when he realized that Danny wasn't listening.

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about our conversation last night and trying to decide when I started having a thing for you."

Steve waited for Danny to finish the thought, but Danny looked like he was running a dirty little movie in his head. "You want to share with the rest of the class?"

"Do you really want to know?" When Steve nodded, Danny continued. "Well, you have to remember I had trouble letting Rachel go. But I was having dreams too. I'm trying to remember when you had the starring role. Believe it or not, I think it started after I met your old SEAL friend, Nick Taylor. I was jealous of him because he knew more about you than I ever would."

Steve put his hand on Danny's arm. "Danno, I have to stop you there. Nick knew details about our SEAL ops. No one on any of my teams ever knew as much about me as you did even when we were just 5-0 partners. I was never partners with any of them; I was mostly their commanding officer or their team leader. I gave orders and they obeyed. I never talked about personal stuff with them until my deployment last August when I talked about you."

Danny was deeply touched by what Steve said. "I never thought about it that way. Anyway, I began to feel a little territorial about you after that. I was upset even though I tried to be professional about it when you went out with Chin or Kono. I told myself that it was just because no one could watch your back like me, but I guess I was just jealous."

Steve flashed his goofy grin. "Why Danny, that's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me. And now that I've got your attention, I'll repeat my question. Can I take you out to dinner since it will be just the two of us? We're nicely dressed for court, so I was thinking someplace really special. Your therapy sheet recommends the full workout only three times a week, with stretching exercises in between. We should be able to work that in after Grace goes to bed."

"Steven, I would love to go to dinner with you. I'll warn you in advance that I'll probably order the most expensive thing on the menu because I plan to make it really worth your while later tonight." Danny was wearing a 1000-watt smile now.

"A man after my own heart. It's a date." Steve settled back on the bench to finish his search for alternate sex positions. He had a feeling that he would need the information very soon.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Danny was called in to testify mid-morning. The D.A. finished with him shortly before noon, so the judge called a recess until 1:30 p.m. Steve and Danny both drove home so that they would have only one vehicle to worry about in the afternoon. Steve left his dirty clothes from this morning in the laundry room and stowed the ice packs in the freezer in the garage before he situated Danny on the lanai with an ice pack to ease some of the pain.

They spent a pleasant half hour eating pizza and sipping iced tea before Steve pulled Danny back inside. "Okay, drop your trousers." Steve had retrieved the tin of balm from the bedroom and was ready to work on the stiff muscles.

"Steven, promise me you'll use that tone when I'm all healed up. That really turns me on."

"Danny, we're guys. Mostly everything turns us on. Maybe that's why this works so well." Steve pulled Danny's shoes off so that he could slip the trousers out of the way. Then he smoothed the balm on his hands and kneaded the muscles behind and above Danny's knee.

"No, this works so well because we love each other so much. The sex is part of it, but it's not the only thing, right?"

Steve looked and caught Danny's question. "You're right, Danno. There's so much more than sex, otherwise we'd be at each other's throat anytime we weren't in the bedroom. It's just really special to be with someone who's on the same wavelength sexually. It gives us a freedom that some couples don't have. That's why you were able to tie me to the bed; it's why we can get a little rough sometimes. Every sexual experience I ever had pales in comparison to what we have together."

"The same goes for me, babe. And we need to stop talking like this when I already have my pants off. The defense attorney will be gunning for me this afternoon, so we need to get going. My knee feels much better. Thanks." Danny was able to pull his trousers on easily now, although he appreciated the help Steve gave him with his shoes.

Steve and Danny made it to courtroom with only minutes to spare. Steve was left alone for the next two hours while the defense attorney tried to shake Danny's testimony. The attorney did his best to make Danny lose his temper or contradict himself without success. Danny was worn out by the time that he took his seat next to Steve.

"The defense has reserved the right to recall me, so I need to stick around. I think you're next." Danny was relieved to stretch his legs and make a quick trip to the men's room.

Sure enough, Steve was called in a few minutes later. The D.A.'s questions were short and to the point, but Steve was still on the stand by the time that court adjourned. He could appreciate how Danny was feeling. It was easier to raid a warehouse or negotiate a hostage situation than testify in court. Nothing special was going on at the 5-0 offices, so Steve and Danny took off for an early dinner. Danny had no idea where they were going, but he knew that Steve had excellent taste in restaurants so far.

The view from their table was amazing. They were on the top floor of one of the pricier beachside resorts. It was one of the few restaurants on the island with a dress code: long pants and actual shoes were required. There were only a few diners at this early hour, but the guys were ready to eat.

At Steve's suggestion, they shared an appetizer until they could decide on their entrees. Danny wanted to try the crab cakes; it was a favorite of his when he lived on the east coast. Steve had to agree that the crab cakes were delicious. There was a variety of seafood readily available on the island, but the kind usually found in cold water was always expensive. Danny wasn't surprised to see crab legs and lobster tails on the menu. This was obviously one of the better restaurants, just as Steve said.

When the waiter came back for the rest of their order, Danny was still undecided. He wanted more seafood, but he flinched at the price tag. Steve took the matter out of his hands when he ordered the seafood feast for two. Then Steve looked at Danny for his approval. "Does that sound okay, babe?"

"It's perfect! We'll have the spinach salad too." Danny decided they might as well break the bank. Steve was entertaining Danny with stories from his academy days, even throwing in a few stories from BUDS training. Under the table, Steve was running his foot up and down Danny's leg. Danny realized that this was Steve in his most charming mode. He could imagine what the scene would be later if Grace wasn't going to be home tonight.

The meal exceeded Danny's expectations. Steve explained that the seafood was flown in fresh daily. It took a while to go through the stack of crab legs and lobster, but they weren't in a hurry. Steve insisted on the cherries jubilee for dessert, again for two. Danny was beginning to wonder if today was some kind of anniversary. Their birthdays weren't until the summer, and Valentine's Day was in February.

It was almost two hours later when Steve paid the bill. Danny blinked at the bottom line, made even higher by the tip. Danny finally had to ask. "Steve, dinner was amazing. This whole date has been amazing. Are we celebrating anything?"

Steve wasn't surprised at the question. "Danny, I got to thinking that under other circumstances, this is the kind of thing is what we would have done before we had our ceremony. We would have gone out to dinner and to the movies. We did some of that, but it was different because we were living together and Grace was with us. Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't change a thing. I just thought it would be nice to do this when we had the chance. We were nicely dressed, and Grace was otherwise occupied. And it was nice that we could leave a little early."

"Yes, it's been a wonderful date. I plan to show my appreciation later this evening when our daughter goes to bed. I'm still in physical therapy, so you'll have to be gentle with me. It's a little strange to have someone take care of me."

"I know we didn't take the traditional vows, but that's what we're doing. In sickness and in health, 'til death do we part; I take care of you, and you take care of me. It's a pretty good deal. Are you ready to pick Grace up?"

"Yes. Yes, it's a pretty good deal, and yes, I'm ready to get Grace. Can you give me a hand? We sat here so long that my knee has stiffened up again."

Steve offered a hand to Danny, and they walked out holding hands. It was one of their most public displays of affection yet, but neither noticed. They were just two people in love out on a very exceptional date.

Rachel was looking a little ragged when she answered the door. Charles was apparently on his own schedule, and it varied from day to day. Last night was a better night, but the weekend was really rough. Their weekend helper, Tina Montez, sat with Charles on Saturday night. Rachel was up most of Sunday night; Stan wasn't much help because he needed to go to work on Monday.

The first thing that Rachel noticed was how handsome both men were. She seldom saw Steve dressed up. "Does 5-0 have a dress code now?" Rachel blurted out her question before she knew it.

"Steve and I are testifying in court this week. The D.A. wanted us to look professional. I wanted to wear a tie, but my Neanderthal partner insisted that a tie isn't appropriate even in court." Danny was holding Steve's hand and gesturing with his free hand. Both looked very pleased with each other.

"You look very happy with your Neanderthal partner, for all your complaining. Grace is getting her things together. She spent a lot of time with Charles after she finished her homework. Stan told me that you talked to her about giving Charles the benefit of her experience. Thank you. He seems to enjoy her company." Now that Rachel thought about it, Charles slept better the nights after one of Grace's visits. She was interested to see if Charles slept better tonight.

"Glad we could help. How are you doing?" Steve asked the question. Danny wanted to keep a little distance between Rachel and him. He wanted to get back to the easy friendship they developed over the last several months. Maybe they could have Rachel, Stan, and the baby over for dinner when Rachel didn't look so tired.

"I supposed I'm doing well enough; it would be helpful if the little man in there would decide to sleep a little better at night. Grace tells me that you hurt your knee again, Danny. What did the doctor say?"

"Rachel, I didn't hurt again. It's just a little sore. We went hiking on Sunday afternoon and it flared up again. When I finished physical therapy the last time, they gave me a list of exercises to do to strengthen my knee. I guess I sort of let them go somewhere along the line." Danny looked a little sheepish.

"Grace and I won't let that happen again. If his knee doesn't improve or gets worse, I'll drive him to the doctor's office myself." Steve decided to escalate from holding Danny's hand to putting his arm around Danny's shoulder.

Danny thought that Steve might be overplaying his hand, but it was absurdly flattering to have Steve staking his territory, which in this case was him. He needed to find a special way to thank Steve later. Fortunately, Grace walked into the entry hall followed by Stan. "Hey Monkey, are you ready to go home?"

"Danno, how's your knee?" Grace worried about Danno all day. She could tell that he was really sore this morning.

"It's fine, Grace. Daddy and I were able to go home at lunch, and I was able to ice it down. Did you have a good day?"

Grace hugged both her dads and launched into a detailed description of both her school day and her play time with Charles. She paused long enough to give Rachel and Stan a farewell hug with a promise to return later in the week.

Stan hugged Rachel as Steve drove the Camaro through the gate. "I get the feeling that Steve and Danny use the time when Grace is here to have a nice dinner out. Will we get to that point again?"

Rachel caught the wistful tone in Stan's voice. "Stan, I've only been out of the hospital for a little more than a week. We'll get there. Maybe we can have Tina come over a little early so we can go out for dinner this weekend. It won't always be like this, I promise."

"I know. Don't get me wrong; I love Charles. You wouldn't believe how much I miss him when I'm at the office. I guess I didn't realize how much work it would be to take care of a baby. Grace spoiled me."

"If it's any consolation, Grace was mostly the same at this age. We're older and smarter than Charles is; we'll make it through." Rachel leaned into Stan and returned his hug. It was getting a little easier each day to let go of Danny again and move toward Stan.

Grace entertained Steve and Danny all the way home. The highlight of the day was science class. The teacher brought a white mouse and a maze into class. The idea was to run the mouse through the maze repeatedly and see if the mouse could improve on its time. Somewhere during the third run, the mouse managed to crawl over the top of the maze and escape into the classroom. That set off a round of squeals from the girls. The mouse was MIA as of the end of school.

Grace insisted that she needed to help Danny with his stretching exercises tonight. Steve and Danny changed into gym shorts and t-shirts and went downstairs to join Grace. Grace was studying Danny's list and directed him to the floor. Then she read the instruction sheet as Steve helped Danny stretch some of the stiffness out. Danny was sure that it would be a painful experience, but Steve was careful to judge how much to stretch without hurting Danny.

When Grace announced that they were finished for the night, Steve helped Danny up and led him over to the couch. Grace shoved the pillow under Danny's knee while Steve retrieved a large ice pack from the freezer in the garage. He slipped it into a pillowcase and wrapped it around Danny's knee.

"Hey, this is new. Where did it come from?" Danny was sure he hadn't seen it before, and he would have remembered.

"I stopped by the medical supply store before court. I bought another large pack and two medium packs. I was going to take one of each for the fridge at work. We need to have something at work too. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"No, you did great. I could feel the muscles pull, but you stopped before it got to be too much. Thanks for everything. Grace, why don't you get your book and we can read down here."

Steve and Grace read to Danny until it was Grace's bedtime. Danny carefully stood and tested his knee. It was a little swollen but not too sore. They tucked Grace into bed and went down the hall to their bedroom.

"How about a quick shower and a soak in the tub? Most of the web sites I checked suggested alternating heat and cold."

"You were checking web sites?"

"I wanted to know what I could do to help."

"After all these months, you still manage to surprise me. The tub sounds nice. Are you going to join me? I'd like to continue where we left off at dinner. For a meal like we had tonight, I owe you some mind-blowing sex. And I know that's not why you did it. Think of it as a fringe benefit." Danny pulled Steve into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He had plans for Steve, and now was a good time to start.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 14, "Pu'olo"

Steve and Danny were soaking in the Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. Danny thought not for the first time that he was fortunate to live in such a nice house with a partner who looked after him. Gone were the days of sleeping on that crappy foldout sofa bed, spending night after night alone. Instead, he had a rich family life and with Steve and Grace. He would never be alone again.

"This was a good idea, babe. The warm water feels great. How did it go in court? How much longer do you think it will go on?" Danny watched Steve at the other end of the tub. His eyes were closed, but Danny knew that Steve wasn't sleeping. Danny was running his feet over Steve's thighs and places in between. Steve was very much awake.

"Court was okay. I'd rather be chasing a suspect down, but it's part of the job. The defense attorney will probably keep me busy for part of the morning. My guess is that we'll be stuck there for at least another day or two. At least you're not aggravating your knee." Steve reached down to capture one of Danny's feet. He carefully massaged the instep, hitting the spot that always has Danny rolling his eyes in pleasure.

"You know, until I moved in here with you, I never sat in a tub like this with someone. Of course, I never lived anyplace where two people could fit in the tub, even a gigantic person like you." Danny's free foot was doing very naughty things. Danny decided that Steve would hold out for only a few more minutes before Steve pulled him out of the tub for the next phase of their evening.

What Danny didn't think about was that two people could play that game. Steve's left foot made its way up Danny's chest. His right foot was mimicking Danny's foot. Now it would be interesting to see who could hold out the longest.

"I'm not gigantic, Danny. I'm only 6'1''; I just seem taller compared to some people." Steve made a promise that he wouldn't make any more comments about Danny's height after Danny pulled him out of that truck in North Korea.

"Hmm, maybe." Danny was having a difficult time concentrating. Apparently Steve's feet were as talented as his hands. "I think that we've been in long enough. I'm feeling a little hot, I mean overheated."

Steve smirked at Danny's slip of the tongue. He was well aware that Danny was extremely aroused. He decided to back it off a notch; Steve wanted something a little more special that a quickie in the tub. Steve stood and offered his hand to Danny. They dried quickly and went in the bedroom to pull the covers down.

"Danny, I don't want you to hurt your knee. Let me take care of us tonight." Steve pulled Danny close and kissed him.

"Steve, believe me when I say that I have no intention of hurting my knee. I hurt my knee having really hot sex with you on the hard floor; this is a nice soft bed. Besides, I really want to do this." Danny rolled Steve on his back and found a comfortable position on his side. "Our meal tonight was really special. I haven't had crab legs or lobster tails in a long time. Even before I moved here, I couldn't afford them. We were so high up that I could almost imagine that I was Ocean City overlooking the Atlantic Ocean."

"Do you still miss it so much?" Steve tried to sound nonchalant, but it was really important for him to know.

"No, my life is here now with you and Grace. Home is wherever you are. I will always feel nostalgic about it, but in my heart I'm home." As Danny spoke, his hands smoothed over the muscles that formed Steve's six-pack. Foreplay with Steve was unique. Tonight, Steve knew that Danny wanted to give him pleasure, and he knew that touching him like this would give Danny a lot of pleasure. So Steve would let Danny do whatever he wanted.

Steve had taken care of him that last two days and nights. Danny remembered how gentle Steve was, taking great care to pleasure Danny without injuring him further. No one ever made him feel so…cherished? Danny heard the word over the years as part of a wedding vow, but he never thought about it much. The word held so many implications. It suggested something of great value, but not monetary. It suggested something you would hold close to your heart until it beat its last beat.

Danny knew that was how he felt about Steve. He would cherish Steve and every minute with him until the day he died. That was what he tried to convey to Steve tonight. "I never thought about how beautiful a man's body can be until you. I noticed it that first day. You walked out to the beach with two beers and a clean t-shirt. I didn't expect what I saw. I knew that you had to be in pretty good shape, but not like that. I couldn't tell because you were wearing a loose t-shirt and that ugly button-down shirt on over it. I like it better now that you're wearing more polo shirts, and your t-shirts are a little snugger. I know how beautiful you are underneath those shirts."

As Danny spoke, his hand roamed the contours of Steve's body. It was all hard muscle with a sprinkling of fine hair. Further down was evidence of Steve's arousal. Danny made sure that his hand brushed against it often enough to kept Steve on edge.

"I can tell you every single time you took your shirt off in the line of duty. There was the day you had to board the ship without the SEAL seeing you. There was the day that you had to find the armored truck. It was all I could do not to stare. Now I can look all I want, and I get to touch all I want. Do you like this, Steve?"

Steve was mesmerized by Danny's words and his hand. It took him a few seconds to realize that Danny asked a question. "Hmm, yeah, I like it. I like it a lot."

Danny rolled Steve onto his side so that Steve was facing him. Now he could use his body to further arouse Steve. It was full body contact, something both men craved. Steve knew it was a signal that Steve was free to touch too, although he was careful to let Danny lead them. When both men were nearing the breaking point, Danny rolled Steve in the opposite direction. Danny realized the other night when Steve used this position that he could also use it without putting any pressure on his knee. Steve moaned when Danny entered him. Danny kept a firm hand on Steve, touching him the way Steve enjoyed most. They came together, as they frequently did.

Danny turned his head and rested his cheek against Steve's back. He could hear Steve's heart beating furiously and knew that his was in sync. "Are you still with me, babe?"

"It's the only place I want to be, Danno." Steve was frustrated that he couldn't hold Danny in this position, but tonight was for Danny. After they cleaned up, Steve would be able to hold Danny all night. For now, it was what Danny wanted.

When their breathing evened out, Danny pulled away so Steve could roll over. Steve immediately pulled Danny in for a tight hug. "Are you doing okay?" Steve pulled back far enough to look for any signs of pain.

Danny laughed and kissed Steve. "Do you have to ask? I'm great. I've had a pretty great day. I got to spend most of the day with you, and nobody tried to shoot me. We had lunch on the lanai, and then we had fine dining atop one of the nicest hotels on the island. And lastly, I had a nice soak in the tub and totally amazing sex with you. Hey, I think this is my perfect day."

Steve laughed and pulled Danny in for another hug. "I think that this is my perfect day too. Are you ready to get cleaned up and get some sleep?"

"Yeah, I could use some sleep." Danny accepted the hand that Steve offered and carefully stood. There was only a little discomfort, no more than usual. Ten minutes later, they were back in bed.

Steve pulled Danny close. After sleeping alone most of his life, Steve only slept well now with Danny close to him. He gave Danny a final goodnight kiss. "I love you, Danno."

"I love you too, Steve." The next thing Danny knew, Steve was rolling out of bed for his morning workout. He missed the warm body, but dozed off until his alarm went off. Danny quickly dressed and made his way to the kitchen. He decided that his family deserved a special breakfast for a Wednesday. Danny pulled down a mixing bowl and the box of Bisquick and a bag of pecans.

Danny went upstairs to make sure that Grace was up before he poured the first batch onto the griddle. Steve came in, took one look at the griddle, and ran upstairs to wash off the salt water and get dressed. He hated cold pancakes and made it back to the kitchen as Danny took the second batch off the griddle.

"This is a nice surprise, Danny. What's the occasion?" Steve loved pancakes. It was one of his favorite breakfast foods.

Danny's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. "Let's just say that I had a really good day yesterday."

Steve tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't suppress a smile. "Yeah, it must be something going around. I had one of those too."

Grace wasn't sure what was going on between her two dads. They were in a really good mood, but it was something more than that. Danno made a big production of flipping her happy face pancakes on her plate, and Daddy kept distracting her so he could steal a bite off her plate. Grace was so happy when the day started like this. She loved her family, and she loved them even more when they were silly like this.

Steve and Danny faced Day 3 in the courthouse with a smile. The D.A. finished questioning Steve quickly, so the defense attorney had the rest of the morning to shake his testimony. Several times, Steve almost lost his cool. He knew that was the intent, but Steve called on his SEAL training to keep his temper in check. The attorney made the mistake of impugning Steve's integrity, so the court was treated to Steve's death glare. The D.A. almost laughed at the defense attorney's sudden retreat. Steve was dismissed shortly after that, although he was admonished so stay nearby in case he was recalled to the stand.

The lunch recess was called only minutes later. Steve decided it was time to make an appearance at 5-0 to catch up on the activities there. After ascertaining that Chin, Kono, and Lori were in their offices, Steve called in an order at the local deli. He bought soup, salad, and a deli tray for his team.

The team missed Steve and Danny this week. It wasn't that Chin wasn't leading the team ably. It's just that Steve and Danny always provided a certain level of entertainment during their slow times. One of them would make an outrageous statement, and the other would take an opposing view. They always had this chemistry, causing others to ask how long they had been married. Since Danny moved in with Steve, their 'discussions' had a more affectionate but no less entertaining tone.

It was a working lunch, in a way. Chin gave a status report, with much ribbing from Kono and Lori. Then Steve and Danny talked about the questions they had faced in court. Steve was pretty tense when he left the courtroom, and the lively lunch with his team restored his good humor. Steve and Danny discussed plans for the weekend on the way back to the courthouse.

Steve decided to call his helpers to do the housework and yard this weekend. He knew that Danny would insist on helping, and he also knew that Danny needed to be careful about his knee. Tonight, they would have another heavy duty therapy session that would leave Danny sore. Steve wanted to get Danny in the water. It would offer some low impact exercise and a little fun at the same time.

Luck was with them. The defense rested late in the afternoon, so Steve and Danny would be free to go back to work in the morning. It would also mean that Steve would be able to meet with his HPD group in the afternoon. Danny had a quick chat with Rachel. She reported that Charles was keeping her up until the wee hours of the morning, so maybe it would bebetter if Grace waited to visit until Saturday. After a quick conversation with Steve, Danny asked if she would like to bring her family over for supper on Saturday. Steve and Danny could cook, and Grace could visit with Rachel, Stan, and Charles.

After the last few days, Danny was confident that he could face Rachel and the baby without any emotional fallout. It was time to lend some support to the Edwards' family, and maybe he could play with the baby without alienating Grace.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Season 2, Episode 15, "Mai Ka Wa Kahiko"

_Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I've been out of town visiting family, and work has kept me busy._

The weekend meal with the Edwards went well. As Rachel recuperated from her pregnancy and C-section, she found her footing with Stan again. Leah's assistance during the week was invaluable, but Rachel and Stan mostly shared duties on the weekend. Grace bonded with her brother, and she even managed an occasional overnight visit without having a meltdown.

Things were going well at the McGarrett-Williams home also. Danny's knee was stronger after regular sessions with his private therapist. Steve told Danny that things were finally settling down, but Danny had an uneasy feeling. His life never went this smoothly for long.

Steve surprised Danny with a romantic dinner out on their one-month anniversary. Grace was staying with her other family, so the men had the house to themselves. Danny appreciated that Steve remembered the occasion and that dinner was amazing. The restaurant was another fine dining establishment, and they ate by candlelight.

When they arrived home, Danny told Steve to go ahead to the bedroom and he would lock up for the night. After their months together, Steve knew this was Danny's way of saying he wanted to be in control tonight. Danny took his time downstairs to make sure that Steve would be ready for him.

The bed was pulled down and the bedside lamps were on low. Steve was nude and propped up against his pillow. Danny strutted in and paused at the bed, enjoying the view. He intended to make sure that Steve enjoyed the show too. He sat on the side of the bed and pulled off his shoes and socks.

Slowly, Danny put his shoes in the closet and deposited his socks in the hamper. He emptied his pockets at the dresser, the turned to face Steve as he pulled his belt through the loops. Next, Danny unbuttoned his shirt, and then put it in the pile of clothes for the cleaners.

Danny turned back toward the bed and saw that he had Steve's full attention. "Like what you see?"

"You know I love watching you like this." Steve appreciated the way Danny's muscles moved as he walked around the room.

Danny took his time with his trousers. He undid the hook and paused with his hands on his hips. "Dinner was a really nice surprise. I wasn't sure if you wanted to do anything special today."

"Danny, I can't promise that I'll always keep track of the important days, but you need to know that this has been the best part of my life. Now will you please finish stripping? I'm getting a little needy here." Steve was so hard that it was almost painful.

Danny pulled his zipper down and stepped out of his trousers. He quickly hung his trousers in the closet and came out dresser only in his boxers. Danny never considered himself an exhibitionist; in fact, he always marveled at how easily Steve stripped his shirt off in public. Now, he pulled his boxers off and tossed them in the hamper. He enjoyed the way that Steve's eyes followed him around the room.

Steve scooted down on the bed and rolled on his side. Danny decided that he had teased Steve enough and joined him on the bed. He ran his hand down Steve's arm and pulled him in for a kiss. "This has been the best part of my life too."

Steve wasn't sure how long he would last after watching Danny's strip show. He could tell that Danny was trying to slow him down. It was difficult because Danny was a great kisser. Sometimes when they were away from work, Steve would stop Danny mid-rant with a kiss. Steve finally realized that Danny deliberately started a rant to provoke a kiss from Steve.

"You should dress up more often. You look so handsome in a suit, even without a tie." Danny could tell that Steve was exercising a lot of restraint. He was torn between wanting to keep Steve on the edge or give Steve some relief. Danny knew that Steve trusted him enough to let him take it either way. Danny chose Door #2. It was still early and they were alone. He knew Steve would be ready for another round soon enough, and it boosted Danny's ego to know that he could shatter Steve's self control.

Steve and Danny woke on Wednesday, unaware that their idyllic evening was the calm before the storm. The call came in early: a dead body was discovered aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight from the mainland. Danny was stunned to discover that he knew the victim. Dave Collins was a federal marshal Danny knew from New Jersey.

The case proceeded with the usual twists and turns. Two passengers were missing from the flight. The first passenger was easy enough to chase down; Sal Painter was the marshal's prisoner, and Steve and Danny found him at his old hangout.

The second passenger used a false identity, Rick McGuire, to book the flight. It took hours to find the second man's residence, and what Steve and Chin found there made their blood run cold. When Steve opened the file on the man's laptop, pictures of Danny, Grace, Rachel, and Stan popped up. Their suspect was stalking Danny and his family.

Even as Steve was talking to Danny, Grace was in danger. An HPD officer interrupted Grace's tennis lesson with news of an injured Danny. The officer seemed to know Danny and was familiar with their house in New Jersey. With the tennis instructor's encouragement, Grace left with the officer.

All too soon, Steve and the team discovered the truth. The man who murdered Collins was Danny's former training officer from Jersey. Danny was the key witness in a trial that culminated in a ten-year sentence for Rick Peterson. Peterson now held Grace hostage.

Steve made sure that Rachel and Charles were safely tucked away at HPD and left to pursue his partner. Danny's phone and gun were found on the side of the road, but his car GPS locator was still active. For Steve, it was too reminiscent of Victor Hesse holding his father hostage. He couldn't lose Danny or Grace. They were his life.

Meanwhile, Danny was beyond frustrated. He couldn't believe that Peterson would do this to him. The man had been in his home with his family. Danny had no choice but to testify against him. Danny could only hope that either he could talk some sense into his former mentor or Steve and the team will come to the rescue.

When Peterson shoved a gun in Danny's face, his hope faded quickly. To make matters worse, Peterson disconnected his GPS locator. The team would be unable to track him. Peterson was unmoved as Danny pleaded for Grace's life. Danny listened in disbelief as Rick made his demand. Danny would have to kill Stan Edwards if he wanted to save Grace.

Peterson had hacked into Rachel's phone mail and heard Danny's declaration of love for his ex-wife. He didn't care if the baby wasn't his; at that point, he only wanted Rachel back. Even if Danny wasn't jailed for shooting Stan under duress, Rachel would hate him for killing the man she loved. Danny would lose his family the way that Peterson had lost his.

Danny tried to reason with Peterson one last time to no avail. Stan entered the park just as Danny requested. Danny retrieved the gun from the trash can and tried to tell Stan that it was for Grace's sake. The team was able to determine that Stan was the target, and Steve hurriedly tried to stop Danny. Steve watched in horror as Stan fell to the ground with a gunshot wound. Then Danny put two more rounds into Stan at point blank range.

Steve expected to see the front of Stan's shirt covered in blood; instead, there was a small bullet hole in Stan's shirt at the top of his shoulder. Danny quickly explained that the last two shots were in the ground before he went after Peterson. Danny demanded to know where Grace was, and he shot Peterson in the leg to show that he would stop at nothing to get his daughter back. Steve was applying pressure to Stan's wound as Rachel rushed to him. Once he was sure that Rachel could take care of Stan, Steve hurried to Danny's side.

Danny had Peterson by the throat and was quietly explaining what he would do if Peterson did not tell him what he wanted to know. Peterson finally accepted that he had lost and told Danny the location of the storage building where Grace was hidden. Steve insisted on driving Danny; he didn't want to think about what Grace was going through.

It was dark when the Camaro pulled up to the storage building. Danny was out of the car almost before Steve braked to a stop. It wasn't until Grace answered his call that the fist around his heart loosened. Danny quickly shot the lock off, and Steve helped him move the boxes barricading them from Grace.

Her face was smudged with grime and tears were running down her cheeks, but Grace was otherwise okay. She knew that Danno and Daddy would find her. Danny gave Grace a quick hug and did his best to comfort her while Steve freed Grace from the chair. Grace hugged Danny tightly as Chin and Kono pulled up outside, HPD and ambulance not far behind. Rachel was in one of the HPD cars; she was crying as she ran to Danny and Grace.

Steve watched the three of them together. He ached to hold Grace and to console Danny, but it would have to wait. He would be at HQ late doing the paperwork, and Grace would need to go to the hospital to make sure she had no injuries. She would need to be questioned; for that matter, so would Danny. HPD would take over the case since the team was too close to the case.

Danny and Rachel rode to the hospital with Grace in the back of the ambulance. Stan was being held overnight; Danny's shot went through his shoulder and missed any bone or muscle. He was in no pain thanks to the miracle of modern pharmaceuticals but he was sick with worry about Grace. Just as he was about to call for the nurse to see if there was any news, his cell phone went off. It was Steve, calling him with the news that Grace was on the way to the hospital with Danny and Grace. Stan was limp with relief, and he assured Steve that he harbored no ill will toward Danny for the shooting. As a new parent, he could understand how far Danny would go to save Grace.

It was almost 2 p.m. when Steve finished the paperwork. He sent Chin and Kono home a little after midnight. Steve wasn't sure where to find Danny and Grace, and he hesitated calling Danny's cell so late. Steve decided to go home and try to get some sleep for lack of a better idea.

There was a light on in the living room when Steve came in. He went into the kitchen to get a beer and climbed the stairs to take a shower. He doubted that he would get any sleep tonight, but at least he could wash the day away. Steve was surprised to find a light on in the bedroom, and Danny and Grace were tucked in bed.

Grace was sound asleep, but Danny woke up when he walked in. He motioned for Steve to keep quiet and meet him in the bathroom. Danny carefully disengaged from Grace's hold and followed Steve, closing the door behind them. He pulled Steve into a hug and held on to him. "I knew that you would find me."

The empty feeling that had plagued Steve all night was gone. "I was so afraid that I wouldn't see you or Grace alive again. What did the doctor say? How is Grace doing?"

"She's doing as well as expected considering what she went through today. Rick didn't hurt her, but she wouldn't let me out of her sight. Duke stayed with us at the hospital and gave us a ride home. Rachel went up to stay with Stan for tonight. He'll go home tomorrow. Grace took a shower and had a bowl of soup. She was afraid to stay by herself tonight."

"I can't say that I blame her. I called Stan to let him know that Grace was okay. He understands what you did. He wanted you to know that. Let me take a quick shower and I'll join you and Grace. HPD is taking over for us; they'll send a detective over tomorrow to take your statement and Grace's. The DA wanted you to know that there won't be any charges for shooting Stan. Chin and Kono explained how Peterson lunged at you and you had to shoot him."

Danny had to laugh at the last statement. "I had to shoot him, babe. There wasn't a shark tank handy." Danny picked the bottle of beer off the vanity and took a long drink. He watched Steve strip and step into the shower. It would take some time to finish the paperwork, and even longer for Grace to recover emotionally.

Grace barely stirred when Steve and Danny joined her in bed. Steve hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you Grace." Danny stopped Steve when he started to turn off the lamp.

"We need to leave the light on. It was really dark in that storage building. I'm really sorry; I know that you need it dark and quiet to sleep."

Steve stopped Danny before he could apologize further. "Danno, I understand. It's okay. Grace is safe, and we'll do whatever it takes to make it right for her." Steve didn't think he would sleep, but the next time he opened his eyes, the sun was coming up. There was no need to get up early. Grace would not be going to school today, and Steve left a message at HQ that they would not be in today. Danny was curled against Grace as if to assure them both that she was safe. Steve rolled onto his side and threw his arm across both of them, grateful to have his family whole again. He was asleep again in minutes.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 15, "Mai Ka Wa Kahiko"

Steve was startled awake a little after 5 a.m. when Grace started crying. Steve saw that Danny was also awake. "Grace, wake up sweetheart. You're having a bad dream. You're at home with Danno and me."

Grace woke up trembling with fear. Then she realized that she was sandwiched between Danno and Daddy. She didn't know that Daddy was home; he was still at work when Grace went to bed. Grace threw her arms around Steve's neck and held on. "I didn't know you came home. Don't be mad. I know that you and Danno told me not to go with strangers, but that man said he was a friend. He knew about our house in New Jersey."

Steve raised his eyebrows in question. Danny shook his head, indicating that Grace hadn't mentioned feeling guilty about going with Peterson this afternoon. Steve sat up and pulled Grace onto his lap and rocked her. "Grace, it's not your fault. He worked with Danno in New Jersey. If you hadn't gone with him, he might have hurt your tennis instructor and taken you anyway. You're safe now. Danno and I won't let anyone hurt you."

Grace finally settled down a little. She had been on the verge of hysterics at the hospital, so the doctor gave her a mild sedative. Apparently, the medication had worn off. Danny considered whether they should go back for another dose and decided against it. Grace needed to talk about the kidnapping at some point, and he couldn't think of anywhere safer than in bed with her family.

Danny moved closer to Steve so that he could help comfort Grace. "Grace, we'll work up a plan tomorrow so that this won't happen again. It's still early. Do you think you can get back to sleep?"

"I don't know. Where's mommy? Is Daddy Stan going to be okay?"

Steve could tell that Grace was getting wound up again and wasn't sure what he should do next. "I talked to Daddy Stan while you were on your way to the hospital. He's going to be fine; your mother is staying at the hospital with him tonight. He'll go home tomorrow. Would you like some hot chocolate? I didn't eat any supper last night and I'm feeling a little hungry. Maybe we should get something to eat. How does an omelet sound?" Steve was exhausted, but he recognized that Grace needed a diversion. They could take a nap later when Grace was calm again.

"Can I have a lot of marshmallows?"

"As many as you want. You want some hot chocolate too Danno?"

"Sounds good babe." Danny was surprised than Grace slept at all after what she had been through. He was grateful that Steve managed to calm Grace. Danny spent most of last evening trying to calm her, and he wasn't sure what to say or do next.

Grace and her two weary fathers went downstairs to the kitchen. Danny turned lights on to dispel the early morning darkness. Steve put a pan of milk on the stove to heat while he assembled the ingredients for omelets. As he promised, Grace was allowed to put a big handful of marshmallows in her mug. Soon, she sat on the counter chatting with Steve as he poured the egg mixture into the skillet.

Danny was amazed again that Steve was able to settle Grace so easily. He had seen Steve do this several times over the last few months. Danny was emotionally wrung out and knew that he would have been at a loss to handle Grace this morning. The hot chocolate was soothing, especially after Steve added some Bailey's Irish Cream to his mug. He noted that Steve didn't put any in his mug and almost protested, but he didn't have the energy. Steve was taking care of Grace and him for now, and Danny was smart enough to let him do it.

Steve slid Grace's omelet on a plate and put it on the table. Grace jumped down from the counter and ate her breakfast with more enthusiasm than Steve expected. Steve buttered her raisin toast and started Danny's omelet. This was something he had done countless times in the past, and the normalcy was comforting.

By the time that breakfast was over, both men were feeling a little more ready to face what was sure to be a difficult day. Grace went upstairs to get dressed while Steve and Danny cleaned up the kitchen. Danny started a pot of coffee; caffeine would be their best friend today. Grace came back downstairs dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of capris. Danny decided that comfort would be the order of the day, so he dressed in a t-shirt and board shorts. He knew that Steve would dress similarly.

They settled in the living room to watch morning cartoons. Steve's cell phone went off a little after 7 o'clock. It was Rachel, who wanted to know how Grace was doing. "Steve, I hope I'm not calling too early. I know that you're an early riser. How is Grace this morning?"

When Grace heard her mother's voice, she wanted the phone. "Mommy, where are you? Is Daddy Stan okay?"

"Grace, I'm with Daddy Stan now. He's eating breakfast and waiting for the doctor to sign the papers so we can go home. Did you sleep last night?"

"Uh-huh. I slept with Danno and Daddy when he came home. I woke up early when I had a bad dream, and Daddy fixed us hot chocolate and omelets. When can I see you?"

"Why don't you let me speak to your father, and I'll see what we can work out." Rachel turned to Stan to see if he would be up for a visit with Grace. He agreed that he should be okay as long as he kept on top of his pain meds. He couldn't believe how painful it was to get shot. He knew that Danny and Steve had taken hits over the years, and his respect went up several notches.

"Rachel, I think it would be helpful for Grace to see you both. She's been really worried about Stan. I need to see him too. I need for him to know that I had no choice." Danny walked into the kitchen so he wouldn't upset Grace. Danny carried his own load of guilt since yesterday; he was certain that he should have been able to avoid shooting Stan. "The detectives from HPD will be over later this morning to interview us. I'm thinking we'll need a nap after lunch. Would you like to come over for dinner? I'll get Steve to make his mom's spaghetti recipe."

Rachel was sitting on the bed next to Stan so he could hear the conversation first-hand. Stan took the phone from Rachel. "Danny, I know that you had no choice. I love Grace too. I would have shot you if our positions had been reversed. And spaghetti is a good idea. I'm going to have trouble cutting my meat for a couple of days." Stan mustered a laugh to let Danny know that he was joking.

"Thanks Stan. We'll see you later today. I'm sure that Grace would like to say hi. She's been worried about you, and I don't think she'll rest easy until she talks to you. Hang on a second." Danny walked back into the living room and handed the phone to Grace. "Someone wants to talk to you."

Grace brightened when she heard Stan's voice on the other end. She talked with Stan for a few minutes before she ended the call. "Daddy Stan said they're coming over for dinner, and we're having spaghetti."

Danny looked at Steve apologetically. "Sorry babe, I sort of promised that you would make spaghetti. Do we have everything we need?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that we do. You and Grace are going to be my helpers. Maybe we can try the pasta maker. Mom told me it wasn't too difficult when she saw it in the cabinet over Christmas. I called her from HQ last night, and I'm sure she'll want an update today. She can talk me through the process." Steve also knew that keeping Grace busy would give her less time to dwell on the events of the last 18 hours.

The detectives called at 8 a.m. to see if it was too early to come over to take the family's statement. Danny wanted to get it over with, so he told them to come now. Steve was in the kitchen mixing batter for muffins. When Danny raised his eyes in question, Steve shrugged.

"I thought they might go well with coffee. I'm going to need lots of coffee today. I really need to at least go for my swim this morning; I need to do something physical. This will do for now, and working on the pasta this afternoon will be good therapy for you and Grace too." Steve added mashed bananas and walnuts to the batter and poured the mixture into the muffin tin.

"Wow, after all the time we spend together, you can still surprise me. Muffins sound great, and you're right about working in the kitchen. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with Mom, slicing and dicing while she helped me work through my problems. You should be able to go for your swim after the detectives leave. I think Grace and I will join you. I called the school and told them that Grace would be out today and probably tomorrow. The principal offered to drop her assignments off for the next two days. She told me that everyone at the school was concerned."

"When something like this happens, it really shakes you up. Emelina called my cell while you were on the phone with Rachel and Stan. She asked if she could bring Ali over for a few minutes after school. Ali was sick with worry last night, and she needs to see that Grace is okay." Steve knew that they owed some others a phone call, but he focused on finishing the task on hand.

By the time that the detectives arrived, the aroma of fresh banana walnut muffins filled the house. Detectives Tammy Lockwood and Michael Beard introduced themselves to the family. Lockwood was the senior partner of the team from Special Crimes. They handled the cases involving crimes against children. Both were a little unsure of the reception they would receive from the head of 5-0 and his second-in-charge.

The tension was eased when Steve invited them to sit out on the lanai. It was a beautiful morning on Oahu, and the prospect of coffee and muffins was inviting. Lockwood decided it was the right backdrop for their interviews. Grace was seated between Steve and Danny, drinking another mug of hot chocolate. Lockwood and Beard knew that McGarrett and his partner were one of the many couples joined in civil ceremonies since the first of the year. They were impressed by the obvious affection between the men and Williams' daughter. They knew it would go a long way to helping young Grace recover from her ordeal.

The interview went smoothly. Whenever Grace showed signs of distress, Steve and Danny would hold her hand or rub her back to soothe her. She ended the interview curled on Danny's lap. The detectives assured Steve and Danny that they had everything they needed. Other detectives in their squad would be talking to Chin, Kono, Lori, Rachel, and Stan today. IA would review their findings since Danny fired on a civilian and a prisoner, but they didn't expect any repercussions.

"Commander, Detective, your daughter has been through quite a lot of trauma. From what I can see of your family dynamics, I believe she'll come through this with little long-term effects. We can recommend counselors who work with patients who've been through similar trauma if you wish. My advice is to give your family some time to work through the aftermath. Please call me or Detective Beard if there's anything we can do. Oh, and thanks for the muffins and coffee. It will make the rest of our morning a little easier." Tammy Lockwood shook hands with Steve and Danny and joined her partner in the car.

The family was relieved to have that ordeal over, and Danny proclaimed it beach time. Steve went for a long swim while Danny and Grace swam closer to shore. Steve joined them in the shallow water for a game of tag after his swim. A hot shower revived them enough for lunch, but they all had a long nap as soon as lunch dishes were loaded in the dishwasher.

Steve woke a little after 2 p.m. He was unused to sleeping during the day, but he did feel better. Steve went to the kitchen to get a start on the spaghetti sauce. He enjoyed dicing the onions and mincing the garlic. The tomatoes and sauce came next, followed by the spices. Steve had a combination of ground sirloin and Italian sausage browning in a big skillet. He had the earpiece from his cell phone in, and he was talking to Mom Williams.

Rick Peterson made the news in Jersey; the murder of a federal marshal and kidnapping of the daughter of a former local detective was big news. Steve used every ounce of persuasion to talk Mom out of boarding a plane for Hawaii now. "Mom, Grace is upstairs with Danno taking a nap right now. I'm making sauce, and I need a little guidance on making pasta. Rachel, Stan, and the baby are coming over for dinner later. We need to spend some joint family time together."

Mom knew that Steve would look after his family and keep them safe. "Okay, dear. I sent you the recipe I use in an e-mail last month. Do you still have it?"

When Steve said that he did, Mom walked him through the steps for rolling out pasta and cutting it into noodles. Grace and Danny came downstairs to the wonderful scent of tomato sauce and spices, and saw Steve talking to himself. When Steve turned, they could see the earpiece attached to his cell phone.

Grace insisted on talking to Nana. Danny walked over to Steve to pull him into a hug. "Why didn't you wake me? I could have helped you down here. It smells great. Is there anything we need to get?" When Steve turned to kiss him, Danny tasted sauce. Passion flared for just an instant before Danny broke the kiss.

Steve rested his forehead against Danny's. "I think we could use some Italian bread and maybe something for dessert. Rachel likes canollis, doesn't she?"

"I'm trying to decide how weird it is that you know what my ex-wife likes for dessert."

"You took her a box of canollis after we had dinner out when she was pregnant."

Danny knew Steve had an astounding memory for details, so it shouldn't have surprised him that Steve remembered Rachel's dessert preference. "When Grace is finished talking to Mom, we can start on the pasta. Then Grace and I will run by Nino's. Were Mom and Dad really shaken by the news? Thanks for calling them, by the way."

"Danny, you had your hands full with Grace. Mom wanted to come over to make sure everyone was okay, but I talked her out of it. She told me that you used to help with the pasta at home. Can you print the recipe out of my e-mail account?"

Before Danny could open the laptop, the doorbell rang. Danny could see the news van in the driveway. "Babe, it's a TV reporter. I hate to ask, but can you answer it? I don't think that I can face the news vultures today."

"Sure, the meat is ready to go into the sauce. I'll be right back." Steve handed Danny the big spoon and walked to the front door. When he opened the door, he recognized the reporter as the woman who interviewed him last month. She kept her word and didn't print the picture of his first kiss with Danny after their ceremony. Steve decided to listen to what she had to say.

"Commander McGarrett, I know that you and your family have been through quite an ordeal. Would you care to make a statement? The whole island was glued to their TV's and radios, waiting for news of your daughter. Steve, we're concerned how Grace is doing. I won't ask you any questions. Just tell us what you feel comfortable saying."

Steve thought for a moment and decided her request was fair. "Give me a moment to talk to Danny and put a clean shirt on. I've been making sauce for supper. You can come in and sit in the living room." Steve showed the reporter and her cameraman in and went to talk to Danny and Grace. Steve quickly explained that the reporter had been fair with them in the past, and this was a chance to thank everyone for their concern.

Grace insisted on talking to the reporter, although Steve and Danny wouldn't let her speak on camera. Steve and Danny both changed into something a little less casual and combed their hair. Danny decided that maybe he would be able to say a few words.

The reporter set up the shot in the living room with Steve sitting on the leather couch. When she indicated that she was ready, the camera rolled. "I'm at the home of Commander Steve McGarrett and Detective Danny Williams. Commander, your family suffered every parent's worst nightmare when young Grace was taken hostage. Everyone wants to know how your family is doing today."

"First, Danny, Rachel, Stan, and I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and concern. We all had a tough time yesterday, and we're having family time today. The 5-0 team, Lt. Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, and Agent Lori Weston, as well as HPD, worked diligently to help us find Grace. She's a little shaky, but mostly she's had a good day. We have a lot of support from our family and friends. We'll make it through this. We just need some time." Steve nodded to indicate that was all he wanted to say.

"Detective Williams, would you care to add anything?"

Danny was sitting next to Steve. He reached over to hold Steve's hand. "I want to add my thanks to our 5-0 team and HPD. I knew they would find me and help me bring Grace home."

"Thank you Detective Williams. I'd like to add that I spoke briefly with Grace. She asked me to tell our viewers that she's going to be okay because she has the best family in the world."

Later, Steve was setting up the pasta maker while Danny stirred the sauce. "So Danny, you realize that we were holding hands for the local TV audience?"

Danny stopped in mid-stir. "What? What are you talking about?"

"When you made your statement to the reporter, you were holding my hand."

"I guess I wasn't thinking. I needed to hold your hand, so I did. It's our home, and I should be able to hold your hand if I want to. Do you have a problem with that?"

Steve walked over to Danny and pulled him close for a kiss. "No, you know I don't. I love you Danno. I was terrified that I wouldn't get you and Grace back."

Danny banded his arms around Steve. Steve had been traumatized by the kidnapping too, and Danny realized that he would need time a deal with everything too. Today both families would unite for Grace, and maybe tonight, he could return Steve's support.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 15, "Mai Ka Wa Kahiko"

The afternoon flew by. Steve called one of his HPD training group and gave instructions for the afternoon session. The man told him that no one expected Steve to show up today. Emelina and Ali dropped by for almost half an hour while Steve and Danny were rolling out the pasta. The principal pulled in the driveway just as Emelina was backing out.

Steve was on door duty just in case any other reporters came by. He greeted her with a smile and invited her in. Mrs. Marino was a little surprised at the flurry of activity in the kitchen. Freshly cut pasta was hanging from what appeared to be a laundry rack, and a big pot of sauce was simmering on the stove.

"Mrs. Marino, thank you for bringing Grace's assignments by. Grace is upstairs taking a shower. We've been trying to keep her busy, hence the pasta. Steve and I have been discussing how Grace will react when she returns to school. We know the kids will be asking her a lot of questions; it's only normal for them to be inquisitive. Do you have any suggestions how to keep them at a minimum?"

As Danny talked, Steve poured a cup of coffee for Mrs. Marino and put a muffin on a plate. Her only experience with the men was the morning Steve McGarrett marched two bullies into the office. She later admitted to her husband that she found him very intimidating. The man in front of her now was anything but. Grace's teachers had nothing but praise for Grace's dads. For the first time, Mrs. Marino understood why.

"Mr. Williams, I've found over the years that meeting the problem head-on is always best. I spoke to our school counselor before I left today. We agreed that an assembly on stranger-danger might be a good idea. I assume you and the Commander have a plan to avoid another occurrence?"

"Steve and I agree that we need to have a safe word so Grace will know if it's safe to go with someone other than family or our 5-0 team. The school knows who can pick Grace up. You can be sure the tennis instructor will receive the same instructions, although we're sure he would have been injured if he resisted. It's going to be hard for us to have Grace out of our sight for a while, and she'll probably have a similar problem. Grace's mother and other father will be over for supper in a little while. We think it might be a good idea for all of us to see a counselor."

Steve took the seat next to Danny and took his hand. "Babe, I think you've had enough caffeine. Take a deep breath." Steve turned to Mrs. Marino. "We'll talk to Grace about the assembly and call you tomorrow. I know that HPD has a liaison for schools to talk about going with strangers. I'll see if she is available for next week. How are the other kids at school reacting? It's been my experience that it can create a lot of anxiety for children when someone they know is a victim of a violent crime."

"You're correct, Commander. It wasn't a very productive day for us at school. I caught the statement you and Mr. Williams made this afternoon to the news. We played it in the classrooms, and the children seemed to settle down a little. We're hoping for a better day tomorrow. Thank you for the coffee and muffin. For what it's worth, I think that you both are doing a very fine job here with Grace. You have a good plan, and Grace will have our support as well. Please call me if there is anything you need."

Grace came down in time to exchange a few words with her principal before she left. Mrs. Marino could see that Grace looked a little tired but otherwise was uninjured. When Mrs. Marino mentioned how worried the other student were about her, Grace asked her to assure them that she was okay and would see them all on Monday.

After Mrs. Marino left, Danny took his shower so he could run to the store with Grace. He didn't anticipate that they would be recognized from the Amber alerts and other news stories. Danny was worried that Grace would be upset, but she seemed to accept the attention. Steve had the table set when Danny and Grace came home.

Stan, Rachel, and Charles arrived a little later. Stan was moving a little awkwardly, trying not to jostle his shoulder. When he sat on the sofa, Grace gave him a very careful hug. Danny sat on the coffee table opposite Stan. When Danny started to speak, Stan cut him off.

"Danny, we've already had this conversation. You did what you had to do. All that matters is that Grace is safe. Rachel told me what Peterson's plan was. He must have been really stupid. You've been with Steve since last summer, and your civil ceremony made the news."

Danny at least could explain that. "Rick never listened to the news or read the papers. He said that everything he needed to know came over the radio from dispatch. I always thought it was a very narrow view. Anyway, thanks for understanding. As promised, Steven made his world famous sauce, and Grace helped us make our own pasta. It's our first time, but I used to help Mom back in Jersey."

"If it's half as good as your mother's, Danny, then we're in for a treat. I was never one of your mother's favorite people, but I always enjoyed meals at her house. Your family was loud, and the conversation was always interesting. But the food was amazing. I heard from Grace that you and Steve took lessons from your mother when your parents were here for Thanksgiving."

"I'll pass the compliment on to Mom, but it's not true that Mom didn't like you. I think that she just wasn't sure how you felt about my family. You have to admit our families are really different. I think Steve is signaling that supper is on the table. We'd better go before the super-SEAL gets irate."

Supper was a huge success. Stan managed to eat his spaghetti without getting too much sauce on his shirt. Steve chopped the salad in small enough pieces for Stan to manage. Just as Danny brought the canollis to the table, Charles started to fuss.

"Oh, it's time for his feeding. Let me fix his bottle." Rachel smoothly mixed the powered formula with bottled water. When she sat to feed him, Danny stopped him.

"Can I do it?" Danny had long reconciled that Charles was not his, but that didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy spending a little time with him. Danny came from a large family, and babies were routinely passed around at family dinners.

Rachel was a little surprised. Right after Charles was born, Danny deliberately kept his distance. Before she could answer, Grace jumped off her chair. "You have to be careful to hold his head up, Danno. And you have to burp him or he gets gas in his tummy and cries."

Rachel placed her son in Danny's arms and gave him the bottle. "Your father knows how to do this, Grace. He spent a lot of time feeding you when you were this size. Would you like to come home with us tonight and help me with Charles since Daddy Stan is off baby duty for a few days?"

Grace looked to Danny, who nodded his approval. "It's okay with us if you want to go. I think your Mom and Daddy Stan need a little Grace time."

After the table was cleared and Steve served tea (decaf for Danny's sake), the parents discussed using a safe word so Grace wouldn't make the same mistake. Steve also had a gift for Grace. "A friend of mine dropped this off while you were at the store. I know that you have other watches, but this one has a tracking chip in it. If you're ever lost or someone tries something like this again, we'll be able to find you. You can tell no one about this. Do you understand?"

"Yes Daddy. You'll always be able to find me with this?"

"Always, Grace. We found you this time, but this will make it a slam dunk. We'll always be there for you. All of us." Steve slipped the watch on her wrist. "This is a special watched. It's waterproof and ruggedized. It's just like mine, only smaller for someone your size."

Grace rewarded Steve with a big hug. Danny made a mental note to show his appreciation to Steve after everyone else went home.

Danny decided that now was a good time to bring up counseling and the school assembly. "Monkey, there's a couple of other things we'd like to bring up. You went through a very scary time; all of us did. We think it might be a good idea to talk to someone about it. We'll go as a family."

Grace thought for a minute. "I guess it would be okay."

Steve told Grace about Mrs. Marino idea of having an assembly to the other kids in her school could be warned about strangers. Grace agreed that it was a good idea. "Grace, Mrs. Marino wanted to know if you would like to talk to the kids too. Most of them just want to know how you're doing. A lot of them might want to talk to you, and it might be easier if you just say something while they're all in one place."

"You mean like you and Danno talked to that reporter today? I liked her; she was nice."

"Yes, like this morning. We could help you write something out if you aren't sure what to say."

"Some people came up to me and Danno at Nino's to say that they were praying for me and how happy they were when they heard that you and Danno found me. I didn't think that everyone would care like that. I know what I want to say. Will you tell Mrs. Marino that I'll do it?"

"I'll call her first thing in the morning. Do you want to take some of your homework with you tonight?" Danny didn't want Grace to fall behind in her schoolwork, but he didn't want to pressure her right now.

"I can take my math and English with me. I want Daddy Steve to help me with my science."

That evoked a round of laughter. Rachel and Stan heard about the volcano project and only wished they had witnessed it firsthand. They left with Grace in tow a short time later. Steve even packed up a container of leftovers for another meal later.

It took only a short time to finish cleaning the kitchen. Steve always tried to wash dishes as he went along. There was some wine left, and Danny poured two glasses for them. Although he wanted time with Steve upstairs, Danny thought they needed to talk first. He opened the door to the lanai and carried the glasses out. Steve followed him down to the beach.

They sat contemplating the waves for a while. Finally, Danny broke the silence. "Do I want to know how much that watch goes for on the open market?"

Steve ran through several replies and settled for, "Grace's peace of mind, priceless."

Danny laughed for the first time in two days. "I suppose that's fair enough. I know that I don't need to say it, but thank you, for everything. Thank you for finding me in time to take Rick down. Thank you for taking over for me this morning, and for talking to the reporter. Thank you for a wonderful dinner."

"You're entirely welcome. How was Grace at the store? You didn't mention that she was recognized."

"At first, she was a little freaked. When she realized that people were concerned for her yesterday and relieved when she was found, she was okay. Are we off tomorrow?

"Yeah, I talked to the governor while you were in the shower. I didn't get a chance to tell you. He told me that we were cleared for a couple of personal days. Do you think that Grace will be okay at Rachel's tonight?"

"I warned Rachel about the nightmares when I walked her to the car. She told me that Charles always slept better after one of Grace's visits. I guess she tires him out. Maybe he will do the same for her."

"I have to say you looked pretty comfortable feeding the baby tonight." Steve couldn't help but wonder if Danny was having second thoughts about another child.

"Steven, I thought that Rachel might be tired after looking after her wounded husband, a husband that I shot. Stanley won't be able to help Rachel for a while, so I thought that the least I could do was feed the baby so that she could enjoy her cannoli." Danny's hands were moving quickly.

"You enjoyed it."

"Yes, I enjoyed it. He's a cute baby, and he's Grace's half-brother. I thought it was time that we made friends."

Steve and Danny talked until the sun set on the horizon. "Ready to go in, babe?" Danny stood and offered his hand to Steve.

"Always with you, Danno." Last night and today, they took care of Grace. Now was the time to take care of each other.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 15, "Mai Ka Wa Kahiko"

Steve and Danny pulled the covers down together and turned the lights on low. They undressed and came together in the middle of the bed. It was a king-sized bed, more room than they needed when you considered that they usually ended up in the middle together. Of course, it came in handy when Grace joined them. Steve would swear that she was all elbows on the rare occasion that she spent the night with them.

Tonight, it was only the two of them. They were both more shaken than they would admit to anyone. They almost lost Grace. Danny lived with a father's fear for ten years now, and he couldn't say that it got any easier. At least it was familiar. Steve was new to fatherhood. It was a blessing that he never wanted or expected until he met the dynamic duo of Williams and Williams. He was still raw with the fear. Steve faced scores of terrorists and rebels as a SEAL and while in navy intelligence, but it did not compare to the prospect of life without Grace.

Steve also ached for the ordeal Danny endured. His father was Chin's training officer. He could imagine what it would do to Chin to discover that John McGarrett was a dirty cop, and then to testify against him. Steve knew that Peterson's betrayal must have run deep with Danny. Pizza with pineapple ran deep with Danny. The betrayal must have opened up another Grand Canyon. The second betrayal yesterday was seismic.

For now, he wanted to hold Danny close. Tonight wasn't about passion; it was about comfort and healing. Danny always knew what Steve wanted or needed when they came together like this. He was content to give Steve what he needed. It suited Danny too tonight.

"Did he hurt you physically? I didn't even get a chance to ask or see for myself."

Danny thought back to yesterday. Rick didn't need to touch him to hurt him. He had Grace. "No, he didn't. How are you doing? I didn't get a chance to ask."

"God, Danny. I was so afraid. I thought I had a handle on fatherhood, but nothing prepared me for that. And I didn't know what Peterson would do to you once you met his demand. He killed that federal marshal without a second thought. He stalked Grace, Stan, Rachel and even Charles. There were pictures of you there too. I can't believe he didn't know we were together. I have a watch for you too. I can't risk losing you either."

"Cool. Is it like a Dick Tracy watch?"

Steve laughed at the question. "Not quite. But we won't lose contact with you again. My watch already has a chip in it, and I'm going to order one for the rest of the team. It's taken me 20 years to find a family; I can't lose any of you.

"I can't say that I like the idea of you buying expensive jewelry for other people, but I'll make an exception in this case." Danny was running his free hand up and down Steve's back, trying to soothe him.

"Don't worry, dear. You're the only one getting earrings." Steve knew that Danny was trying to lighten the mood. Two can play that game.

"I hope they're clip-ons. I'm not getting these beautiful ears pierced. My body is a temple."

Steve snorted before he could help himself. "As someone who worships regularly at the altar of Danno, I'm well aware of that."

"Flattery will get you everywhere. We're in this wonderful bed. We're naked. We're alone in the house. Are you getting any ideas?" Danny enjoyed the verbal sparring with Steve, but he was ready to move the action along.

Steve moved closer for a soft kiss, and then slanted his mouth to take it deeper. Steve was contented to kiss like this for a while. There was no need to hurry tonight. At some point, Steve rolled Danny onto his back to make it easier to explore his favorite parts of Danny's body (which was mostly everywhere).

This position worked for Danny too. Now he had both hands free to roam over Steve. As usual, he wasn't sure where to start. He loved Steve's abs of steel and the fine sprinkling of hair on Steve's chest. He was equally fond of Steve's ass. Then there was the matter of Steve's other equipment. Like a good SEAL, Steve was well-equipped for any maneuver, and he knew how to use what he had.

When Steve couldn't wait any longer, they came together. Steve wanted to make it last forever, but even his self control was no match for making love with Danny. As he came, Steve felt some of the rawness soothed. He could feel Danny's shudders, and stroked the back of his hand over Danny's cheek. "It's okay, babe. I've got you."

They held each other for a long time, each reluctant to break contact. Danny was suddenly so tired that he didn't think he could move. Steve knew that Danny would wake up in an hour or so if he didn't shower off now, so he helped Danny up. He managed to get them both cleaned up and back in bed before Danny faded further. It helped that they didn't need to worry about sleep clothes.

The sun was streaming in the window when Steve opened his eyes again. He was surprised to see that Danny's side of the bed was empty and the sheets were cold. Just then, Danny walked in with two mugs of coffee. He was only wearing boxers, a matter Steve hoped to remedy.

"Morning, babe. It's nice to see that you've joined the land of the living. Some of us mere mortals have been up for a while. I already spoke to Mrs. Marino and told her that Grace would be happy to say a few words at the assembly on Monday. She asked if we could attend, and I told her that we would. I also spoke to Rachel, who was thrilled that both Grace and Charles slept most of the night. I told her that we would pick Grace up at lunch time. I thought that we might swing by the bullpen at HPD. I wanted to thank the officers there who helped us. They don't get enough happy endings. I thought that they might want to see one up close."

Steve took the mug Danny offered and drank half of it. It was just the way he liked it. "How long have you been up?"

"Only about half an hour. I put the coffee on before I made the phone calls. I thought if I gave you some caffeine, that I could motivate you into morning sex. I like sex any time of the day or night, but there's just something special about starting the day with a bang."

Steve smiled into his mug. It was a relief to see Danny rested and more like himself. "That's a little clichéd, do you think? Next thing you know, we'll be comparing the calibers of our guns."

"Well punk, do you feel lucky? Go ahead, make my day." Danny did his best Clint Eastwood impression, which only made Steve laugh hard enough that he almost spilled his coffee.

Steve carefully put his mug on the night stand and then did the same with Danny's. Then he pulled Danny down for a hug. Danny was anticipating the move and kept rolling so Steve ended up on the bottom.

"Oh no you don't. You had your way with me last night. Now it's my turn." Danny was in a playful mood, and he really did want to move past the aftermath of Grace's kidnapping. He knew that he could always count on Steve to be a willing partner in whatever insanity he came up with this morning. They used up every inch of real estate on the bed, and at one point, Danny almost flipped Steve off the bed.

By the time that they made it to the kitchen, both men were starved. Steve made French toast while Danny sliced some fruit. They ate their breakfast on the lanai and had their second cup of coffee. The rest of the day was busy. Steve took his family to Crystal's for pizza for lunch, and they spent a little time at HPD thanking the department for their help. Danny wasn't surprised to see that Grace charmed everyone present.

They made a run to the supermarket for weekly groceries. Danny did laundry while Steve helped Grace with her science assignment. Thankfully, she only had definitions and ten questions to answer on Chapter 14. She had reading for social studies, and Danny discussed the questions at the end of the chapter with her. They all took a study break and did the weekly cleaning. Dawn and Jen cleaned every other week, so they only had to mop the floors and clean the bathrooms.

At the end of what seemed like an almost normal day, most of the work was done. The house and laundry were squared away, and Grace was caught up with her homework. Steve grilled fish and veggies for supper and took a quick swim while Danny and Grace cleaned up the kitchen. They ended the evening on the couch with a movie. Grace wanted to watch 'Captain America'. She was asleep by the time that the movie ended, and Danny carried her upstairs to bed.

She woke long enough to hug her dads goodnight. Steve would have enjoyed sitting on the beach, but he didn't want to leave the house in case Grace had a nightmare. Steve knew that the day had gone a long way in restoring their balance, but he wasn't fooled into thinking that everything was back to normal. On Monday, Danny would talk to Detective Lockwood and get a referral for a counselor. They would make time to attend the counseling sessions with Rachel and Stan. He expected that it would be a good opportunity to tune up their family dynamics.

The day ended with Steve and Danny watching reruns on TV Land. They caught episodes of 'Dragnet', 'Night Court', and 'Barney Miller'. Danny brought in a couple of Longboards. When they were sure that Grace was down for the night, Steve and Danny retired for the night. They made one last bed check on Grace on the way to their room.

Thankfully, Grace slept through the night. Steve woke first on Saturday, but he was content to stay where he was with a warm Danny spooned behind him. It was a little after eight a.m. when Grace tapped on the door. She peeked around the door only to see Steve put his finger to his lips. She understood that Danno was still sleeping so she quietly made her way to the bed. Rather than take her usual place between the men, she walked over to Steve's side and slid in there.

"Good morning, Grace. Did you sleep well?" Steve whispered in an effort not to disturb Danny.

"Yeah, I was really tired. I got up to help Mommy feed Charles, and he didn't want to go back to sleep. Mommy and I sang to him until he went to sleep. It's okay that I love Charles, isn't it?"

The question surprised Steve. "Of course it is. He's your brother, just like I'm Aunt Mary's brother. We're family, all of us. Loving is always a good choice." Steve smoothed her hair out of her eyes. The haunted look from two days ago was gone. He was amazed at the resiliency of children.

"Hey, Danno sleeping over here. Can you two keep it down?" Danny's voice was gravelly with sleep, and his hair was going in several different directions. Steve thought he looked absolutely adorable.

Steve slid to the side of the bed and rolled Grace so she would be between them. It was always their favorite way to start the day on the weekends. Steve and Grace had to coax Danny awake. They promised to make Belgian waffles for breakfast to get him out of bed. They had no plans for the day, so Steve went for his morning run and swim. They washed the Camaro and the truck, inside and out.

Grace wanted to go to the library and check out some books. Danny insisted on treating the family to shave ice. Kamekona was there instead of at the shrimp truck today. He made a fuss over Grace and wouldn't let Danny pay for the treat. Steve barbequed some chicken and grilled corn on the cob. There was nothing out of the ordinary for the McGarrett-Williams family, and that's what made it so great. And tomorrow, they would get to do it all over again.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 16, "I Helu Pu", except that Steve isn't dating Catherine and Danny isn't dating Gabby.

Part of his family was gone, and it was his fault. He should have seen it coming, but he didn't. The weekend had started so well. Grace was staying with Rachel and Stan, and he had a black-tie date with Danny on Saturday. The black-tie part wasn't so great, but he had to admit that it was kind of nice to get all dressed up and go out with his partner.

It was a little awkward when Catherine showed up in his office last Friday. Catherine was aware that Steve was with Danny, but she was having trouble reconciling the Steve she knew with someone who was with another man. It wasn't like she had any illusions about where they were going. She didn't think that Steve would love anyone after what he had been through, and she was too career-minded to give up her job. Still, Steve was so different the last time they talked. She just had to see him one more time, so she spent her leave traveling to Hawaii.

Steve was sitting at his desk signing off reports. He looked terrific. His hair was a little more close-cropped than when they were together. He seemed trimmer, although he was always in terrific condition. She thought he looked younger somehow. Then she spotted the ring on his left hand. That threw Catherine more than anything.

Steve looked up when she walked in. He smiled broadly and walked around the desk to greet her. "Cath, what are you doing here? Why didn't you call to tell me you would be in town? Have you been re-assigned?" Steve pulled her in for a friendly hug and then stepped back.

Now that she was in the room, she could see other differences. There were pictures of Steve, Danny, and Grace around the room. Steve was drinking coffee from one of those mugs you can buy at the mall; Grace's face decorated on side; the words "I love you Daddy" were on the other side. Catherine felt an ache that took her by surprise. Steve was a daddy now. She hadn't thought about that.

"No, I haven't been re-assigned. I had leave coming, and I needed to see you again." Catherine hadn't expected to blurt out the last part, but she wasn't sure how to explain her presence.

Steve sat on the corner of his desk and motioned for her to take a seat. "What's going on, Cath. Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"I'm okay, Steve. There's nothing wrong. I don't even know how to explain it. I know you're with Danny now, but I just can't figure out how you could be with me and now you're with Danny. How did that happen? I thought you enjoyed our time together. I thought we were good together." Catherine felt tears coming on and willed herself to stop them.

"Catherine, you know how I feel about you. We worked together, and there was something more. But you and I both know that it wasn't going anywhere. And with Danny, we started out as partners and friends. Then it became so much more. I love him, Cath. I never expected to feel this way about anyone, but I do. And there's Grace. She adds so much to my life, our lives. I'm good with children; can you even imagine?"

Catherine sat back and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what she expected Steve to say, but it wasn't this. "No offense, but no. I never imagined you with a child. I never thought that you would be good with a child. You were barely functional with grown-ups unless they were Navy. So, it's permanent with you and Danny?"

"Catherine, civil ceremonies are legal in Hawaii now. Danny and I had our ceremony shortly after midnight on New Year's Day. Yes, it's permanent. Even without the ceremony, he's it for me. Like I said, I love him. There's nothing between you and me now except friendship." Steve was getting a little uncomfortable with Catherine. She sounded okay when he told her that he was with Danny. He didn't expect this now.

Catherine knew it was time to leave while she still had an ounce of dignity left. "Well, it's time for me to go. I guess congratulations are in order. I hope Danny knows what a great guy he's getting."

"Believe me, I do. How are you Catherine?" Danny didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he had one more report for Steve to approve. He was going back to his office without saying anything, but Steve looked so uncomfortable.

"I guess I'm doing okay. I was just leaving. The best of luck to both of you." Catherine considered giving Steve a farewell hug and decided against it.

"Well, that didn't look like it was much fun. What was she doing here, if you don't mind me asking?" Danny strolled in and sat in the chair formerly occupied by Catherine. He looked relaxed, but he didn't fool Steve.

"Actually, I have no idea. I guess she needed for me to tell her that I'm with you, that I love you. She wanted to make sure that it was going to stick. I told her it would. Now, was there something you wanted, or did you come in to rescue me?"

Danny gave Steve his report but made no effort to leave. "Do you want me to pick your tux up from the cleaners? I need to go by there anyway."

"Yeah, that would be appreciated. I should be home on time." Steve went back to his reports; he really didn't want to see them when he came in on Monday.

The pre-dinner cocktail party was in full swing when Steve and Danny stepped into the huge ballroom on Saturday. They were here, along with the rest of the team, as guests of the governor. Governor Denning sponsored two tables as part of his contribution to the 'Clean Coast' fundraiser. He knew the team would make attractive additions to the evening while offering a little extra security.

Danny expected that for $5000 per plate, dinner would be a little more appetizing. He remembered the expensive seafood dinner Steve treated him to a few weeks ago. It was way better than this, and he didn't have to wear a tie. Of course, he didn't get to see Steve in a tux either. He definitely had plans for tonight when the tux came off.

The offerings at the silent auction were interesting. Chin was bidding on ukulele lessons while Danny was bidding on football tickets for the U of H Warriors. Steve topped his bid, but Danny refused to be outdone. He raised the bid by one dollar. Before they could grab another flute of champagne, the governor pulled Steve and Lori aside. The party was over for them.

Looking back, Steve tried to decide what he could have done differently. The governor wouldn't let them hold all the guests until they could be questioned. It took a lot of legwork to identify the crime scene that wasn't a crime scene at all. That was when he suffered his first injury of the case. Steve went over the side of the roof while trying to save a guy whose only crime was losing his cool when he caught his girlfriend cheating on him. Danny looked on helplessly as Steve lost his balance and fell to a certain death.

Neither could believe that Steve landed on a balcony only a few feet down. Danny ranted at Steve long and hard as soon as they were alone. "Babe, you are not Superman; you cannot fly. Why do you go to such great pains to keep me healthy only to give me a heart attack? I thought you were dead." Danny choked on the last words.

Steve pulled him close for a hug. "Me too, Danno. All I could think was that I wasn't ready to leave you and Grace. I'll be more careful, I promise." They stood together like that until Lori came in for an update.

The stunt at the Russian Embassy, as the governor termed it, was the only way Steve knew to get their perp off Russian soil. It didn't go as planned to say the least. Chin was held prisoner until Denning got him released. When Max confirmed that Vonakov's DNA matched, Steve thought that they would be vindicated. Sadly, that was not the case.

He did stand behind Five-0 with the Russian ambassador, but they all took a hit. Denning put a letter of reprimand in all their files, and he sent Lori packing. To be fair, he gave her a choice. But after all these months being part of their family, she chose Five-0.

Steve offered to go to the governor, but she knew it was time to leave. Lori lost her heart to Steve, and she couldn't deny it any longer. It was painful to watch him walk in with Danny every morning. There were times when she could tell they had a round of morning sex before coming in. Steve was in Danny's personal space more often those mornings, and he would deliberately provoke Danny into a rant. She could only imagine what it would be like to wake up and see Steve on the other side of the bed. It was time for her to move on.

Steve accepted the gift of the season tickets, and also regretfully accepted Lori's resignation. His ribs ached when he hugged Lori goodbye. She didn't stop to bid the other farewell. She really liked the team, and they had become family. Lori trusted Steve to give the others the news.

Steve sat back down in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He had an appointment with his dentist to repair his tooth in an hour. The receptionist assured him that the doctor could repair his tooth without any trauma to him. He wished his relationship with Danny could be so easily repaired.

Danny was still furious that Steve went after Vonakov without watching for danger. Danny was stewing in his office. He made sure Steve was comfortable enough for the night and spent the night in the guest room. It would be a misstatement to say that either of them slept. Every time Danny closed his eyes, he could see Steve lying motionless on the pavement. He could see Steve's blood on Lori's hands.

For not the first time since loving Steve, Danny had a taste of what Rachel must have gone through during their marriage. He knew that Steve didn't deliberately run in front of that car, just as Steve didn't leap over the side of the roof on Saturday. It was luck that Steve wasn't killed then, and it was luck again that Steve didn't die on the street. Danny knew that he overreacted, but he couldn't help himself. He loved Steve so damn much.

Danny was the one who threw up the barrier last night, so he would need to make the first move today. He hauled himself out of his chair and walked into Steve's office. Danny could see that Steve was in pain. He went around to the front of Steve's desk and pulled out the Aleve. "I'm guessing you haven't taken anything this morning."

Danny shook two pills out of the bottle and handed them to Steve. He took a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge and unscrewed the top. "Here, take these." Danny waited for Steve to wash down the pain killers. "I shouldn't have lost my cool last night. I know you didn't get yourself hurt on purpose. I'm sorry." Danny reached out to stroke Steve's cheek.

Steve leaned into Danny's hand and closed his eyes. The fist around his heart loosened. Danny wasn't going to leave him. "I was afraid that you were going to leave." The words hung between them. It was all Steve could say.

Danny leaned down to whisper in Steve's ear. "Listen to me, Steven. You need to remember this. I will never, ever leave you. I'm sure we'll fight again. What we do is too stressful for it not to come between us. But I will always be here." Then he kissed Steve and rested his forehead against Steve's.

Kono walked by Steve's office and saw that the partners were settling their differences. She walked into Chin's office and announced, "They kissed and made up."

Chin looked up from his laptop and smiled. "I was sure that they would. I'm sure that it won't be the last time that Steve's penchant for being reckless will come between them."

Kono sat in his visitor's chair. "Gosh, I hope not. I hate it when Mom and Dad fight." She saw Steve and Danny coming toward Chin's office. "Look busy. Here they come."

Chin looked up from his screen. "Kono, I am busy."

Steve remained standing while motioning Danny to take the other visitor's chair. "Guys, I have some bad news. Lori Weston turned her resignation in this morning. Governor Denning gave her an ultimatum. She chose to resign. It looks like we're on our own again. I'm sure that we haven't heard the end of it from the governor. What happened was my decision, my responsibility. I'm sorry that all of you caught the fallout."

Chin wouldn't let that pass. "Boss, we all made our decision to go with the plan. I'm sorry that we lost Lori."

Kono would miss having another woman on the team. "Yeah, me too. I liked her. Who's going to tell Max?

Steve looked out in the hallway and saw Max coming their way. "Something tells me that he already knows."

Max stormed into Chin's office. "Steve, I want to know what you're going to do. Lori came by my office a few minutes ago to say goodbye. She said that she resigned from Five-0. You need to change her mind."

Steve walked over to Max and put his hand on Max's shoulder. "Max, I'm sorry. I tried to talk her into letting me go to the governor, but she wanted it this way. She's going back east to Homeland Security."

Eventually, everyone went back to work and Steve went on to the dentist's office. It didn't take long to repair Steve's tooth, and he decided to bring lunch back for everyone. They had enough paperwork to complete after their case last weekend to keep them busy for a few days. Denning insisted that none of them would be out on the street until the last report was signed by Steve and in the governor's office.

In their favor, preliminary research indicated that Vonakov had killed before. The Russian ambassador was recalled back to Moscow. Steve suspected more hits as other police departments accessed Vonakov's DNA. Max entered it in the national database this morning.

Grace was still with Stan and Rachel. It was her longest visit since the Edwards returned from their trip. The house was quiet when Steve came home that evening. He stayed late to make up time from his dentist visit. A few minutes later, Steve heard the Camaro in the driveway. Danny came in a few minutes later carrying grocery bags.

"Hey, babe, a little help here. I did the grocery shopping since we were tied up last weekend. There's more in the trunk." Danny hurried into the kitchen to put the frozen food away quickly. He was almost finished when Steve came with more bags. It took almost twenty minutes to unload the car and put everything away.

Steve was happy to see things were back to normal with Danny. He was miserable last night with Danny sleeping down the hall. When Danny closed the pantry door, Steve pulled him in for a hug. "Danny, can you wait for supper a little? I'd like to go upstairs first. I missed you last night. I need you."

"I missed you too. I couldn't sleep without you, babe. I can wait to eat. I'd rather be with you too." Danny eagerly joined Steve upstairs. He needed to be close to Steve after almost losing him. Grace would be back home tomorrow night, so maybe they could celebrate Valentine's Day a little early.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 16, "I Helu Pu", except that Steve isn't dating Catherine and Danny isn't dating Gabby.

Steve sat on the side of the bed to pull his boots off. He winced with the pressure on his ribs, but he managed to untie the laces and toe them off. His socks came next, but Steve needed a minute to catch his breath.

Danny was down to his boxers before Steve rose to empty his pockets. It took a while to empty all of his pockets because there were so many. Danny sucked his breath in when he saw the ugly bruise on the right side of Steve's chest. Danny thought it was a miracle that Steve hadn't suffered broken ribs or internal bleeding. He walked over to Steve and skimmed his hand over the bruise.

"Are you sure you're up to this, babe? This looks very painful." Danny didn't want to add to Steve's pain.

Steve leaned on Danny, relishing the warm of his partner's body. "I need to be with you, Danno. I need to hold you. I want to make love with you. Remember when your knee was hurting? I think that I could manage that position without hurting myself too badly. You'll have to do most of the work."

Danny carefully hugged Steve, trying not to put any pressure on his ribs. "I don't mind. You took care of me, and my knee is feeling great now. It's my turn. Need some help undressing?" Danny pulled Steve's shirt up and over his head. The belt came next. Finally, he unbuttoned the cargo pants and pulled them down along with Steve's boxer briefs. His boxer's joined Steve's pants in the hamper.

They pulled the covers down and got into bed. After their separation last night, it was a relief to be together. Danny kissed the cut on Steve's forehead and the bruise on his cheek. Then he settled on Steve's lips. He purposely kept it light. Tonight was about healing the breach between them as much as passion.

Looking back on their time together, Danny was amazed that they argued so seldom. Maybe it was because they understood each other so well. And no matter how upset they were with each other, they never stayed mad for long. Part of it was that they didn't want Grace to live in a household with a lot of tension. She had enough of that at Stan and Rachel's house. A bigger part of it was that they were miserable apart.

"I missed you last night, babe. I couldn't sleep without you." Danny moved closer so that they were in full body contact. Danny was sure that he could feel Steve's heart beat. Steve's free hand was busy too. He alternated between running his fingers though Danny's hair and cupping Danny's ass.

"I couldn't sleep either, Danno. I couldn't get comfortable with my ribs. I wanted to ask you to come back to our bed because I knew I would get some relief if I could curl around you. Believe me, Danny; I didn't do this on purpose. It hurts too damn bad, and I really don't enjoy the pain. It takes longer to heal that when I was a young SEAL." Just being this close to Danny eased much of his pain.

"Did the doctor prescribe anything for the pain, or are you supposed to gnaw on a stick or something?" Danny knew that Steve was disinclined to taking pain medication.

"He offered but I have pills left from the prescription after North Korea. I'll take one after we eat tonight. I didn't want to be fuzzyheaded for this." Steve needed Danny now. He kissed Danny with more heat than before, slanting his mouth to take it deeper. His hand moved between them, stimulating both of them. Steve knew that he wouldn't have much endurance tonight between the fatigue and the pain.

Danny was well aware of this. He didn't want to roll Steve over, so he got out of bed and walked to the other side. Once he was sure that Steve was ready, they joined. "Steve, is this okay? I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"Honestly, Danny, I'm good," was all Steve could say. He was swamped with pleasure. Danny's hand moved in sync with the rest of him. When he came, Steve swore that he saw stars. He felt Danny's climax a few seconds later.

Danny was trying to catch his breath and keep Steve from moving too much. Steve shifted so that he could lean against Danny. They held their positions until their breathing evened out. Steve wanted to hold Danny, but he would wait until they got up to shower.

Later, Danny carefully helped Steve with his shower. "Did you screw up your shoulder too?" Danny knew that the shoulder was one of Steve's few weak spots. It had been aggravated in North Korea, and again in the cage match.

"Yeah, I guess I did. I didn't notice it too much compared to my ribs, but it's sore again."

"I'll massage it for you before we go to bed, after you take your Vicodin. What would you like for dinner? I'm guessing soup and grilled cheese sandwiches."

"You know me so well, Danny. My stomach is a little tender. Do you mind? I can manage something a little more exciting this weekend. I'd like to take my best guy and our daughter out for a special dinner."

"It's a date, Steven. I don't mind soup and sandwiches tonight. It was my suggestion. I bought some chicken soup from the deli that you like, and I bought the good cheese too. I didn't get a chance to tell you; I spoke to Rachel today. Grace will go back to her house tomorrow after school, and Rachel and Stan will drop her off on their way out to dinner. Uh, we're babysitting Charles too." Danny wasn't sure how Steve would feel babysitting on their first Valentine's Day together, but Rachel was frantic when they talked.

Rachel wanted to take Stan out for a romantic dinner for Valentine's Day. Leah had other plans, and Tina wasn't available this week. Rachel felt guilty about asking Danny for help but she was desperate. Stan had been through a lot with her this year. First, he had to fight for his marriage again after Charles was born. When Danny helped her with labor and delivery, Rachel fixated on him. Stan was aware that Rachel would have gone after Danny again if Steve hadn't run interference. Then Danny was forced to shoot Stan to save Grace.

Rachel was grateful for Stan's patience with her, and she wanted to tell him that he was doing a great job with both Charles and Grace. She called Danny and crossed her fingers. Danny was torn between wanting the time for Steve and Grace, and feeling like he owed Stan a favor. Although Stan absolved him of any guilt, Danny was still remorseful over the shooting. Danny also had his own agenda, one that Steve shared. They agreed that keeping the Edwards' marriage strong would be good for all of them.

Steve turned around to face Danny. "What was that last part?"

"Rachel couldn't get a sitter, so she asked if I could watch Charles."

Steve's first reaction was to be angry with Rachel for making such a high-handed request. Then he remembered his own words. Charles was Grace's brother, and that made him a part of their family. Steve studied Danny, trying to determine how Danny felt about the idea. For once, he couldn't determine what his partner was feeling. "Are you okay with it?"

"Do you mean will I have a problem watching the baby that at one time I thought might be mine? I told you before, babe that I've gotten past that. I thought that since it's a school night and Grace will be here anyway, one more kid wouldn't make a difference. Besides, I kind of enjoyed having him here when they came over for dinner."

"Then it's okay with me." Steve stepped in to kiss Danny. He wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he would accept it for Danny's sake. Although Danny was insistent that he didn't want more children now, Steve could see how he was around Charles. Steve knew that he needed to get more comfortable with the baby too.

Steve pulled out the ingredients for the grilled cheese sandwiches, but Danny insisted that he sit down. They discussed what the menu should be for their meal tomorrow night. Steve suggested Chinese carryout since Grace loved lo mein so much. Besides, it would save them from cooking and cleanup with a baby in the house. Steve also reminded Danny that he ordered flowers for Grace that they would need to pick up. Steve ordered flowers for the other women in their lives. Emelina, Mary, and Mom all had flowers coming their way.

Danny made sure that Steve took his pain medication after he finished his meal. Danny allowed Steve to wipe the counters and stove while he loaded the dishwasher and washed the skillet. They settled on the couch to watch a little TV before turning in for the night. They only watched half of a movie before both were dozing off. Danny turned the TV off before waking Steve.

"Come on Sleeping Beauty, time to go to bed." Danny managed to get Steve vertical and on his feet.

"I didn't get to see the end of the movie, Danno. I don't know how it ends." Steve was whining, and Danny found it oddly endearing.

"Sure you do. They all lived happily ever after. Now climb the stairs and get into bed." Danny pushed Steve in the general direction of the stairway. He could see from the easy way Steve was moving that the Vicodin had kicked in. He knew that Steve would be down for the count soon.

"Okay Steven, let's get your shirt off." Danny pushed Steve to the side of the bed and had him sit. Both dressed only in t-shirts and board shorts after their shower. They usually slept nude when Grace wasn't in the house; tonight would be no exception. Danny found the balm in the bathroom and crawled onto the bed behind Steve. Danny smoothed some of the balm on his hands and massaged Steve's shoulders. He enjoyed doing this for Steve. It eased a lot of Steve's pain, and he got to put his hands on his partner.

When Danny was finished, Steve made a trip to the bathroom before trying to find a comfortable position on the bed. "Steven, will you wait for me? I know how we need to do this." Danny settled on his side so that he could spoon behind Steve.

Between the Vicodin, the massage, and the warmth of Danny's body, Steve was asleep in minutes. On he was sure that Steve was comfortable, Danny drifted off too. Both men slept soundly that night, waking only when Danny's alarm went off. Normally, Steve would be up early to work out with his HPD group, but his ribs precluded any rigorous physical activity.

Steve was feeling much better on Tuesday. His ribs were still sore, but an anti-inflammatory would keep him relatively comfortable. He made oatmeal for their breakfast while Danny packed lunches. "Danny, we never discussed whether we would exchange anything for Valentine's Day."

Danny resisted the urge to smirk. "Steven, Valentine's Day is kind of a chick holiday. We don't need a holiday to show our appreciation for each other. You show me how much you love me every day."

Steve moved over to Danny for a kiss. "You too, Danny. I always know how you feel. I'm relieved that you feel the same way I do about today. I don't mind making a fuss for Grace. I always hated trying to decide how to get through the day when I was actually seeing someone."

"I'm with you, Steven. It was a nightmare even when I was married to Rachel. I knew that whatever I did, it wouldn't be enough. I think the whole holiday is a conspiracy against men backed by Hallmark, FTD, and the chocolate industry." Danny was working himself into a good rant.

"Listen, tonight after Charles goes home and Grace goes to bed, I'll show my appreciation in a more satisfactory manner. Until then, this will give you something to think about." Steve pulled Danny closer and kissed him softly. He threaded his fingers through Danny's hair, letting his fingertips raked against Danny's scalp.

Danny knew Steve's ribs were still tender, so he held onto Steve's hips. Danny would be aroused all day thinking about the kiss. He was grateful that Steve didn't give him a hard time about babysitting Charles tonight. "Okay, it's a date. I think we'd better eat that oatmeal before we end up being late for work. Grace comes home today, and I don't want to stay late tonight."

Chin and Kono were relieved to see Steve and Danny walk in without any of the tension from the previous day. They were having a good day too. Chin scored big with Malia this morning with his gift. He was able to find tickets for her favorite local theatre for this weekend. Kono had a date tonight with Charlie. They all had another day of reports to finish from their Russian Embassy escapade, guaranteeing that they would leave on time today. Shortly after 5:00 p.m., the team turned off the lights and locked their offices. It was time to go home.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 16, "I Helu Pu", except that Steve isn't dating Catherine and Danny isn't dating Gabby.

The stop at the florist took twice as long as usual. The line of husbands and boyfriends picking up flowers snaked outside the door. Steve was starting to hurt so late in the day, so Danny waited to pay for Grace's flowers. The stop at their favorite Chinese restaurant went much quicker.

This was Grace's longest stay with her mother and step-father since mid-November before the Edwards' left for their extended trip. Unlike the week while Steve and Danny were on their honeymoon, Grace enjoyed her time with her other family. She had come to love her brother very much, despite the fact that he didn't really know how to do anything (in Grace's words). Charles, in turn, adored his big sister. He always listened attentively when Grace spoke to him, and he only slept well the nights that she visited.

Both Rachel and Stan were more able to care for Grace during this visit. Rachel was well into her recovery from the C-section, and Stan was halfway through physical therapy for his shoulder after the gunshot wound. Rachel suffered moderately from post-partum depression after Charlie's birth, but she was finally beginning to feel more hopeful about the future. Tonight was about re-igniting the spark with her husband.

Leah packed the bag for Charles before she left for the day. Grace finished her homework quickly and amused the baby while Rachel pampered herself a little. Stan arrived home a little early so he could shower before dinner. He didn't know where Rachel made reservations, but she promised he would enjoy the evening. Knowing the Rachel went to the trouble of arranging the evening meant a lot to him.

Twice in the last year, Stan had almost lost Rachel. He no longer worried that Danny would try to steal Rachel from him. He witnessed the bond between Steve and Danny, and he knew that Danny would never again be tempted. Stan was a little surprised that Danny agreed to take care of Charles tonight, but he wouldn't question his good fortune. He knew that finding a babysitter on Valentine's Day would be almost impossible. Once again, he owed Danny and Steve.

It was close to six o'clock before Steve and Danny made it home. They barely had time to change into their home uniform of t-shirts and board shorts before Grace ran through the front door. She made a card for her favorite dads in school today and couldn't wait to deliver it in person. Rachel and Stan followed Grace through the door a few minutes later. Rachel carried Charles in his car seat while Stan brought the tote bag with extra clothes, diapers, and formula.

Danny took the car seat and set it down on the coffee table so he could extract Charles safely. Charles was awake and alert, taking in the new surroundings. When Rachel started to run through her list of instructions, Danny deftly passed the baby to Steve. It was a little mean of him, but a part of him really enjoyed the panicked look on Steve's face. He imagined it was the look on his face the time that Steve set off a grenade in a pawn shop.

Steve made a note to speak to Danny about this later. Although he had no objections to sharing his space with an infant, he really wasn't comfortable holding one. Charles was increasingly more aware of his environment and the people in it. The big person was unfamiliar to him; fortunately, he tolerated strangers well enough. Charles spent most of his day with woman, and the rumble of the deep voice of a man was always a surprise.

Steve shifted the baby to the football hold that Danny used frequently. Steve was a quarterback in high school, so this position was more natural for him. "Well, hello there. I'm Steve. I'm one of your sister's dads. I guess you can call me Steve, or Uncle Steve, if you want."

Danny was half listening to Rachel while trying to catch what Steve was saying to the baby. Rachel saw the quick smirk pass on Danny's face and knew what put it there. All she could think was how screwed she was. Rachel was really trying to keep it together with Stan, but Steve and Danny were so damn cute with each other, Grace, and now her son. She gave up trying to read her instruction sheet to Danny.

"Danny, you have my cell number. I know that you know what you're doing. Call me if you get in a bind. We'll be back somewhere between 8 and 9." Rachel gave a farewell hug to her children and steered Stan back to the car.

"Steve has no idea what to do with Charles, does he?" Stan remembered his first few days with the baby and tried not feel superior to Steve. On the other hand, it was almost never that he had the upper hand on Steve. He remembered the night that Steve rescued dinner at their house.

"No, he doesn't, but I'm sure that Danny will bring him around soon enough. I expected Danny to call back and tell me that he couldn't watch Charles tonight. I thought that Steve would have him cancel on us, particularly when I heard about Steve's injuries. Did you know that he was hit by a car last weekend?"

"No, I didn't hear that. I could see the cut and bruise on his face. He's really taken a beating the last few months. I wish he would be more careful. He was pretty intimidating when I first met him, but he's a really good guy."

"Yes, he is, and I'm sure that Danny keeps at him to be more cautious. You do realize that both men are going to end up being honorary uncles or something to Charles. I imagine that Steve will have him swimming before he can walk if we're not careful." Rachel wanted to say it now before it happened in case Stan had a problem with it.

Stan was way ahead of Rachel on this one. He saw how it was when they had dinner the night after the shooting. Danny had an affinity for babies, and Steve was wherever Danny was. "I know. I guess if Danny can get past everything with Charles, it's the least that I can do. Despite the differences I've had with your ex, he's a good man and so is his partner. I can live with it if you can."

Meanwhile back at the McGarrett-Williams home, Steve was making friends with the baby. Danny was busy dishing up supper, so Steve settled on the couch. Grace was really happy to be home again, and she was determined to tutor Steve in the proper care and handling of the baby. "See how strong he is, Daddy. He can grab my fingers and I can pull him up."

Steve was surprised how little the baby was, although even he could see that Charles was growing bigger almost daily. Steve had absolutely no experience with babies, and he was really hoping to keep it that way. Unfortunately, Danny was determined to see that Steve spent a little quality time with Charles. Steve was relieved when Danny called them to the table.

Grace's flowers were waiting in front of her plate. She squealed when she saw them. Grace ran back to the living room and pulled her card from her backpack. Steve and Danny made all the appropriate remarks about Grace's amazing artistic ability. Really, Steve was beyond touched. The front of the card had a drawing of the three of them in the water behind the house.

The baby was content in his car seat while the family ate. Steve took half of a pain pill after his meal. Even holding Charles put stress on his ribs. They ached now, and his shoulder felt like it had a knife stuck in it. He would ask Danny for another massage tonight.

After the kitchen was cleaned up, they settled on the couch for a movie. It was feeding time for Charles, and Danny decided not to press his luck by asking Steve to help. Besides, Danny enjoyed this time with Charles. He knew it was just for a little while, and then Charles would go home with his parents. He was okay with that.

Steve was beginning to get more comfortable as his aches faded. He was so happy to have Grace home with them, although he and Danny made the most of their time when Grace was with her other family. Even Charles' presence didn't take away from his satisfaction. Instead, he tried to imagine an alternate life where they adopted a baby. Steve was sometimes overwhelmed parenting a ten year old girl. He couldn't see how they would manage with a baby. Still, he knew that Danny was really into his moment with Charles. It was something they would need to revisit sooner rather than later. If they decided to adopt an infant, they wouldn't want to be too much older.

Danny was surprised to hear the car in the driveway. It was a little past 8:30; Charles had a small nap after his bottle but woke when Danny changed his diaper. Danny tried to keep the baby awake so he would sleep longer tonight. Danny vowed to show Steve a little extra attention after Grace went to bed for allowing him the pleasure of caring for Charles. He missed doing this with his cousins' babies when he moved to Hawaii, and tonight he felt a little less disconnected from the family he left behind.

Rachel was radiant when she walked in with Stan, who looked pretty happy also. Danny was struck how beautiful Rachel was. Although she no longer tempted him, he could appreciate Rachel. It was always a relief to know that he over her. Danny could see that Grace was fading fast, so they would be tucking Grace in bed soon. Then he could spend some quality time with Steve.

Rachel and Stan thanked Danny and Steve for taking care of Charles for them. Stan remembered to ask Steve about his injuries. Just as Danny's patience was wearing thin, the Edwards hugged Grace and left. The house seemed a little empty without the baby and his paraphernalia. Danny shrugged it off and announced that they had time for a short story before Grace's bedtime. Grace already showered at her mom's house, so she just needed to brush her teeth.

Grace read from a new book of short stories Steve and Danny found at a local bookstore. It featured stories about Hawaiian lore, something Grace really enjoyed. Both men missed this nightly ritual with Grace. When she finished the story, Grace asked Daddy how he got hurt.

"Grace, I was chasing a suspect and forgot to look both ways before I crossed the street. I'm a little bruised, but that's about it." Steve lifted his shirt to show Grace the bruises on his side. He didn't want to scare her, but he needed her to be careful with his ribs. "I'll be good as new in a few days. I'm really glad that you're home. I love you, Grace. Get some sleep." He leaned over to give her a good night hug.

Danny tucked Grace in and hugged her tightly. "Danno loves you, Monkey. See you in the morning."

Danny stopped Steve in the hall before he could go downstairs. "I'll turn off the lights and set the alarm. Why don't you go in and pull the covers down. You played nice with the baby tonight, and you let me have my time with him. I know that it wasn't your first choice, and I plan to show my appreciation."

Steve wasn't sure what Danny had in mind, but he liked the sound of it. He pulled the covers down and stripped out of his clothes. He hissed when he pulled the shirt over his head. His ribs were feeling better, but his shoulder pain was much worse. Steve hated when his shoulder was like this.

Danny could see the pain on Steve's face when he walked in. Danny locked the door and quickly shed his clothes. Danny found the massage lotion that Steve liked and sat behind Steve on the bed. He poured some lotion on his hand and gently kneaded the sore muscles in Steve's back and shoulders. "Are you still taking your pain meds?"

"Yes mother, I took half of a pill after supper. I hate the way it makes me feel, and I wasn't hurting that much. I'll take the other half before I go to bed. I won't get much sleep otherwise. Satisfied?"

"I would feel a lot better if you weren't hurt, but I guess it will do for now. You did pretty good tonight considering it was probably your first time holding a baby."

"It was my first time, and I will pay you back for manipulating the situation so I was stuck with him. You seemed really content to take care of him. Danny, I know that you've told me that you're happy with our family the way that we are, but I need to ask you if you are sure. You're a natural with babies; even I can see that. Danny, we can make it work if you want a baby." Steve turned around so he could see Danny. He could if Danny hedged around the truth.

Danny sighed and took a little time to consider. He thought that his life with Steve was just about as perfect as it could be considering the pressures of their jobs. Danny thought about the sleepless nights, teething, ear infections, child care, and all the other issues they would face while raising a baby. He just couldn't see it. "Steven, I love babies. I always have. I come from a family of baby lovers. But the reality of raising a baby is very different from spending a couple of hours cuddling a baby before passing him back to his parents. I know that you will do whatever you can to make me happy, and I love you very much for it. I don't think it would be a good idea for us to bring a baby into our family. I like our family just as we are. And I can always get my baby fix when I need one."

Steve could see that Danny was sincere. "Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I love you so much, and I want you to be happy. My shoulder is feeling better. I'm really tired. Would you mind if we just went to bed?"

Danny hugged Steve, enjoying the skin-to-skin contact. "That's fine, babe. Take your pain pill. I can use the early night myself. And I love you right back."

Long after Steve fell asleep, Danny was deep in thought. He was spooned behind Steve, and his hand was under Steve's shirt touching warm skin. As Valentine's Days went, it was nothing spectacular. Danny was smart enough to know that when everyday life was so special, there was no need for grand gestures. Steve didn't buy Danny flowers, but he bought flowers for Grace and Mom. He let Danny babysit for his ex-wife's baby without complaining, and even gave Danny the option of adding to their family if it would make Danny happy. In Danny's book, that made Steve a keeper.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 16, "I Helu Pu", except that Steve isn't dating Catherine and Danny isn't dating Gabby.

Steve woke early on Wednesday, not a surprise considering he was in bed well before ten o'clock. He was a little achy, but in no real pain. Danno was still spooned behind him, and the hand that was on his belly the night before was several inches lower now. Steve shifted until Danny's hand made contact with a needy part of his body.

"You know, I could just my move hand and get the same result." Danny's voice was low with a hint of amusement. He really couldn't complain. For the last twenty minutes, Danny had been pressing his erection against Steve's ass with varying pressure. They had ample time to make up for last night, and Danny wanted Steve now. He moved away from Steve enough to roll Steve onto his back. Then he helped Steve remove his clothes before shedding his own.

"What did you have in mind, Danno?" Steve's voice hitched when Danny put his hand back where Steve wanted it.

"I guess when I told you that I didn't want anything for Valentine's Day, I lied. I want this." Danny spent the next thirty minutes showing Steve exactly what he wanted and how. Danny was careful to avoid pressure on Steve's ribs and shoulder, but they played hurt often enough to know how to work around it.

Steve was a little out of breath and really feeling no pain now. On days like today, Steve loved his life. A very warm Danny was holding him close, and they were kissing like two teenagers parking on a Saturday night date. Their passion was spent for the moment, but Danny was an amazing kisser. "Since I'm the boss, I suppose I should get up soon. It wouldn't look good for me to be late because I was in bed with my second-in-charge."

Danny smiled even as he continued his assault on Steve's mouth. Finally, he pulled back to survey his work. Steve's hair was sticking up in several directions; his mouth had a just-kissed swollen look. Steve had a smug satisfied smile on his face. "If you must. But babe, you really need a shower unless you want everyone to know what we've been doing."

"Danny, I'm pretty sure everyone must have some idea what we do here. Are you going to join me in the shower? I could use some help with my back." Steve carefully extracted himself from Danny and out of the bed.

Danny followed him into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He knew there would be no shower sex, but he enjoyed joining his partner anyway. He liked watching Steve move under the spray, and Danny was free to put his hands on Steve. Some days, Danny couldn't get enough of Steve. He couldn't touch him enough, kiss him enough, hold him enough. This was going to be one of those days.

"What's on the agenda for work today, boss man? Is the governor going to let us go out to play, or are we going to have to write on the board for recess again?" Danny really didn't mind being stuck at his desk because it meant Steve would have a chance to heal before going back out in the field.

"I have a meeting with him at nine this morning. I submitted our reports before we left yesterday. He'll review them before our meeting. I'm not sure what he'll have to say. I hope he doesn't try to bring another outsider in for the team. Lori worked out pretty well, but it was really stressful having her forced on us." Steve felt guilty for not recognizing that Lori wanted more than friendship with him, although he could look back and see the signs.

Later than morning as he squirmed in the chair in the waiting room, Steve had a sense of déjà vu. He was wearing the same suit and probably the same shirt from their first meeting. Every time someone walked by the doorway, he tensed. He was hoping no one joined him in the waiting room the way that Lori did several months ago.

This time, Steve went in alone to face his boss. Denning was still reviewing their reports, but his face gave no indication of his mood. Finally he looked up; on the surface, Steve seemed to be at ease. "Commander McGarrett, I'm forced to admit that your instincts concerning Vonakov were accurate. I see that there are almost a dozen hits on his DNA. Apparently, he was a predator and it will be a pleasure to see him locked up. However, I instructed you and Agent Weston to keep me informed of every aspect of your investigation. That did not happen. Weston is gone. Was that your intention all along?"

"No sir, it was not. Agent Weston was a valuable member of my team. I would ask you to reconsider, but Agent Weston asked me not to. Vonakov raped and killed on my island. He wouldn't stop at that if it suited him. It made me sick to think that the Russian ambassador would hide him. I needed to flush him out of the embassy. I realize that my plan was extreme, but I was afraid the Russians would smuggle him out of the country."

Denning knew that they were at a stalemate. He could try to place someone on the team, but he was afraid that another outsider would upset the balance of the team. He took great pride in his elite task force, and he knew that other governors would try to lure all of them away if he gave the team reason to leave. Denning knew that the team wouldn't exist without McGarrett. He considered his options and reached his decision, one he hoped he wouldn't regret later.

"Commander, Steve, I'm going to level with you. You cannot pull something like that again. I'll admit that you did what needed to be done, and I'll also admit that I wouldn't have given my permission for such an operation if you had informed me. So here's the deal. I'll promise not to veto your plans, and in return, you'll keep me informed. If I'm going to cover your ass, at least I'd like to know what is going on. Is that fair enough?"

Steve sat back and considered his alternatives. He either trusted the governor and did what he asked, or he continued as before. If he did the latter, they would certainly lose their jobs sooner or later. But trust was hard to come by. He trusted Jameson and look where it got him. "Governor Denning, I appreciate your position. I hope you can appreciate mine. I trusted your predecessor only to find out she was in bed with Wo Fat all these years."

"Steve, I can't imagine what you've gone through losing both of your parents to Wo Fat. You trusted Jenna Kaye, and she turned you over to Wo Fat. I've probably done nothing to earn your trust, but you need to give me the same chance that I'm giving you. I have the greatest respect for you and your team. I might add that whenever I attend out-of-state conferences, the most asked questions I get are about 5-0. Others have tried to set up similar teams but none have come even close to matching your success. I need for you to keep doing what you're doing. I just hate to look stupid when it's obvious that I have no idea what is going on."

"Okay, let's say I agree to your terms. We both know that I don't really have a choice. How can we make sure that no one intercepts my report or eavesdrops on our conversation? I've made sure that our phones are secure after the General Pak debacle. You would need to carry a secure phone so that I could get in touch with you when necessary. I'll either phone you or text you, unless the circumstances or extreme. In that case, I'll contact you as soon as possible after the incident, or someone on my team will contact you if I am incapacitated. Is that fair?"

"That's fair enough. You can provide the phone to ensure it meets your standards. I will use it only for communications with 5-0. How are you feeling? I know you took a hard hit the other day." Denning knew that SEALs tended to work through the pain. How Steve answered the question would be an indication whether Steve was willing to be truthful.

"My ribs bother me later in the day. My shoulder is more of a problem. It's been injured before, and it's causing me some pain. Danny, Detective Williams, keeps it tolerable for me at night with a warming balm. I have some exercises to strengthen when the inflammation subsides a little."

Denning scrolled through his contacts on his cell phone and made a call. "Glenn, it's Sam. The head of our 5-0 team has a shoulder injury that could probably use some of your ultrasound therapy. Can you see him this morning?" Denning listened and wrote something on a post-it note. "That's Glenn. Let's get together this weekend for a round of golf."

When the call was ended, Denning handed Steve the note. "Glenn said he would see you as soon as you can get there. He's the team doctor for the Warriors; he treats a lot of pulled muscles and banged up shoulders. I hope he can help you. You and your team are free to proceed as before. Are you on restricted duty?"

"The doctors from the ER didn't put me on restricted duty, but I won't put my team in danger. I'll investigate in the field if necessary, but I won't actively participate in any raids for a few more days. I'll tell the team. Thank you sir for the referral. I prefer to stay off pain medication whenever possible." Steve rose and shook hands with the governor before leaving. He wasn't sure about Denning, but they were stuck with each other. He would make the best of it. He wouldn't risk losing his team.

Steve went to his appointment but called his team on the way to the Camaro. He gave them the good news and told them he would be back in a couple of hours. The doctor was a big fan of 5-0, and he was anxious to help Steve. He ran a scan to assess the severity of the injury. The prognosis was encouraging. "Commander McGarrett, I recommend we do some ultrasound therapy and hot packs on your shoulder. We'll repeat twice a week for a couple of weeks. I assume you have some exercises to keep mobility and build endurance?"

"Yes, although I'm not at that point yet. I appreciate your help. Thanks for seeing me so quickly." Steve was ready to try something new if it meant the pain would go away faster. As he left the office an hour later, he had to admit that he was moving a little more comfortably. He would return on Friday morning for a second treatment.

HPD was happy to hear that 5-0 was cleared for duty. They had a puzzling case concerning some assaults on a local high school campus. Steve sent Danny and Kono out to help with the interviews and worked with Chin in the office to run some background checks. Chin had the best skills at this kind of work, and Steve asked Chin to help him improves his skills. Steve figured that if he needed to stay out of the field, at least he could learn something useful.

Steve left on time to pick Grace up while Danny finished up his interviews. Kono promised to drop Danny off on her way home. Steve always looked forward to picking up Grace. She was full of stories from school; today, she received a birthday party invitation at school. All the kids in her class were invited to Bradley Hamilton's party a week from Saturday. It was later in the day than most kids' parties; it ran from five o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening. The parents were hosting a dinner party with dancing after for the kids.

Steve thought it was kind of an excessive celebration for a ten year old. He thought someplace like Crystal's would be more fun for the kids. He could see that Grace was excited about the party, and he wondered how Danny would handle the news. Actually, he knew that Danny would rant about rich kids and people who had no idea what was appropriate for a kid's party. Danny would be adamant that Grace should not go to the party. Steve estimated that he had about thirty minutes before Danny arrived home to decide how to deal with the situation.

"Grace, why don't you let me talk to Danno about the party? Let's start supper. You can make the salad like I showed you." Steve decided that he would discuss the issue after Grace went to bed. Whereas he understood the Danny was not ready to have some kid steer Grace around a dance floor, Steve thought that it would be a mistake to deny Grace a social opportunity with her classmates.

Grace was raiding the fridge for salad fixings. She found the bag of spring greens and grape tomatoes in the vegetable drawer, and some berries were with the rest of the fruit. Grace rinsed the greens and tomatoes and put them in the salad spinner. She put the veggies in the salad bowl and added some blueberries and sliced strawberries. Grace wasn't a big fan of salad, but she didn't mind eating one if they had fruit in them. Steve didn't mind, but Danny considered it a precursor to fruit on pizza.

Steve heard the Kono's Cruze in the driveway and shot Grace a warning glance. The grill was ready for the jumbo shrimp and veggies to grill. Everything would be ready by the time that Danny changed his clothes and came down to join them. Steve poured a glass of milk for Grace and himself, and grabbed a Longboard for Danny. Hopefully, Danny would be in a good mood for their conversation later.


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 16, "I Helu Pu", except that Steve isn't dating Catherine and Danny isn't dating Gabby.

Danny had this funny little itch between his shoulders since arriving home. He wasn't sure what the problem was, but he always got it just before something bad happened. Danny wasn't sure what the issue was. Steve looked like he was feeling better; he had supper ready by the time that Danny came downstairs in his t-shirt and board shorts. Supper was delicious and healthy, so Danny fixed everyone a bowl of ice cream for dessert.

Later that night, Steve and Danny were sitting on the lanai having a beer. Steve's shoulder was improved enough that he could lay off the pain pills. The itch on Danny's back was intensifying. He could tell that whatever it was, he would soon hear the bad news.

"Danny, Grace has an invitation to go to a birthday party at the end of next week. Do you have a problem if she goes?" Steve tried to make it sound like no big deal, but he realized the instant that he talked about it that Danny would know that something was up.

"Why are you telling me this instead of Grace?" Danny had a bad feeling.

"Danny, it's from one of the boys in her class. The parents are hosting a dinner at their home. They will be there chaperoning. Uh, there will be dancing after dinner. I guess that they are going to have a band providing music. Grace really wants to go. And I'm telling you because I think that you are going to have a problem with the party, and I thought we should talk about it without Grace standing in front of us. Whatever we decide, we should present a united front with Grace."

"Okay, I can understand that part. What I don't understand is why you think it will okay for a boy to put his sweaty hands on our daughter." Danny was beginning to get wound up. He stood up and his hands were moving rapidly.

"Danny, think back to when you were that age. Here's what will happen. The girls will be on one side of the dance floor; the boys will be on the other. There will be a lot of giggling, and the girls will finally dance by themselves. When the boys finally dance, it will be fast dancing only. The boys wouldn't be caught dead slow dancing." Steve did his best to remain calm.

"You may be right, but I don't want to encourage Grace to think about boys."

"Danny, you can't stop it. It's a part of growing up. I'm afraid if we try to keep her away from mixing with the other kids, including the boys, she'll find a way in a less controlled environment. There's no lack of male presence in Grace's life. She has three dads who show her a lot of love, so she doesn't need to go looking for it. She understands that we expect her to concentrate on her schoolwork. Don't go looking for trouble."

Danny picked his beer up and finished the bottle. He knew that what Steve said had a lot of merit, but it was hard for Danny to accept. "I need to think about it. You may be right, but I still don't like it. And I'm not sure how I feel about the way that you handled it. It makes me look like the bad guy in front of Grace."

"Danny, that was not my intention. When I was a kid, I always went to my dad when I wanted to do something that I thought Mom might have a problem with. It was that way when I started peewee football and when I wanted to go rock climbing. Mom worried about me getting hurt. Dad understood why it was important to me. I never thought that Mom was a bad guy. I just knew that she would object. Dad knew how to talk to her."

"Yeah, with me, it was Mom. I always went to her when I wanted to go somewhere. Dad's kneejerk reaction was to say no. I never knew why. I see your point. I still don't like it, but I see it."

Steve was relieved that Danny was sitting again, and his hands were in his lap. "So are we good here? You have to know that I would never to anything to come between you and Grace, as if I could. I don't think that a daughter could love a father more."

Danny reached over to hold Steve's hand. "I know that, babe. She loves you too, you know. And I know in my heart that she wouldn't let anything happen that would disappoint the two of us. She would hate that more than anything. Give me a couple of days to get my head wrapped around it. I'll let her know at breakfast that she'll have our answer by Friday. So, your shoulder is better?"

"Yes, I still feel it if I move wrong, but the constant pain is gone. The doctor approved of your treatment too. He said the massage at night using balm was a good way to ease the pain. How did your interviews go today?"

They discussed work for a little while, and Steve went into greater detail about his conversation with the governor. He would brief the team too tomorrow. The events of the weekend eventually slipped into the past. Surprisingly, Lori's presence wasn't missed much. She had become part of the team, and even part of their family, but the consensus was that they were all happier to be a team of four.

Grace let out a squeal on Friday morning when Danny told her that she would be able to attend Bradley's party. Danny made a phone call the previous evening and spoke to Bradley's father to make sure that the party would be closely chaperoned. Gary Hamilton confessed that he had a twelve year old daughter, and he understood Danny's concern. They threw a similar event for her on her tenth birthday, and it was her best birthday memory. They wanted the same for Bradley. The kids appreciated a slightly more grown-up party, and it gave some of the kids their first experience with formal dining.

The day of the party, Grace spent the afternoon preparing for her big night out. She went to her mother's house on Friday after school, and together they went to get their nails done. Rachel made sure Grace picked a color appropriate for a ten year old. Grace was so proud of the fact that she didn't bite her nails anymore. It was a nice mother-daughter time, and Rachel appreciated the pampering too. Much to Danny's relief, Rachel also took Grace shopping for a party dress. While Grace was trying on dresses, Rachel broached the issue of the dreaded training bra.

"Grace, I know that you didn't like wearing a bra, but you really should for this dress. I think we can find one a little more comfortable." Rachel knew that Danny would go a little crazy when he realized that Grace was wearing a bra; her only regret was that she wouldn't be there to witness his reaction. Rachel was able to find a bra in Grace's size that had just a hint of padding. Grace was impressed enough with the result that she asked her mom to buy enough for daily wear.

After Grace finished her extended bubble bath, she washed her hair and carefully dried it. She dressed in her new clothes, and then Steve came in to curl her hair. Steve was amazed at the transformation. The tomboy who helped him wash his truck this morning was a blossoming young lady. And he wasn't sure, but he thought that she might be wearing something that helped her fill out the dress a little. He knew that Danny wasn't going to like it, but it wasn't like he was going to push the issue. The less they dealt with girl undergarments, the better.

Danny promised to take pictures for Rachel and Stan, although they would see her later. They were picking her up from the party, and she was spending the remainder of the weekend with them. When Steve finished with Grace's hair, she stood and twirled around for him. She was so beautiful, and Steve had to wipe a tear away as he carefully hugged her. "You'll be the prettiest girl there. Now give me a minute to get downstairs."

Steve saw Danny standing in the living room with the camera, waiting for Grace to descend the stairs. Danny was looking very handsome too. He had a date with Steve after they dropped Grace off. He was taking Steve to dinner. "Danny, let me take the pictures."

"What, you don't think I know how to push the button." Danny knew Steve had control issues, but this was a little much.

"Of course you do. It's just…you need to see Grace when she comes down. It shouldn't be looking through a camera lens. Just trust me, okay?" Steve kissed Danny and pulled him in for a hug. It would little consolation after he saw Grace.

Steve heard Danny's quick intake of breath when he saw his baby girl all dressed up. Steve snapped several pictures; his favorite was when Danny offered his arm to escort Grace out to the car. He saw that Danny's eyes were bright when he opened the car door for Grace. Steve handed Danny the camera as he buckled his seat belt. He intended to get a few shots when Grace got to the party. He knew that Danny would insist on meeting the parents before they left for their own dinner. Steve would make sure that he looked intimidating in front of the boys.

Grace was both excited and nervous about the party. Bradley was her favorite boy in her class. He wasn't the cutest, and he was kind of nerdy. But he was a really nice boy, and they shared an interest in science. He was fascinated by her volcano, even more so when she described the one Steve built for his own amusement.

As it turned out, Steve and Danny weren't the only parents who lingered when they dropped their child off. Elise Hamilton was pleased to meet Steve and Danny. She saw them frequently when they took Grace to school, and like most of the other mothers, she was a little overwhelmed by their good looks. Bradley came over to meet them too; he wanted to ask Steve how he got so much velocity with his lava flow. Both men were much more comfortable with the party by the time that they left for the rest of their evening.

Danny waited until they ordered drinks before he sat back and vented. "Did you see my little girl? She had boobs tonight. When did that happen?"

"Danny, I suspect that she had some help. I saw the bag Grace carried in with her new dress. I think Rachel bought her some new bras since Grace didn't want to wear the other ones. And I wouldn't worry about the birthday boy. He was more interested in talking about blowing up another volcano than putting the moves on Grace." Steve grabbed Danny free hand and held it. He could see that Danny needed the support.

Danny thought back to when he became interested in the opposite sex. "I remember when I was fourteen. I was a freshman in high school. My voice finally changed for good, and I had a crush on one of the JV cheerleaders. She was in my English class, and I was tongue-tied every time the teacher called on me. I used to jerk off in the shower thinking about her."

Steve could almost see Danny at that age. "I was almost sixteen before I was really interested in girls. I guess I was too busy with school and sports to pay much attention to them. There was a girl in my history class. I was going to ask her out when Mom died. After that, I was too raw to care much about anything. When I was at the academy, I met a girl during town liberty. I guess she was my first girlfriend. Her parents were out of town one weekend, and I lost my virginity then. She was more experienced and I guess she sort of seduced me. She provided the condom and everything." Steve couldn't picture her face, but he still remembered how it felt be inside a woman for the first time. Some things just stay with you.

"I was sixteen. It wasn't with a cheerleader, but she was pretty enough to be one. It was in the back of my Dad's car; it wasn't the Marquis, but it had a big back seat. I bought my own condoms, and we were both virgins. It was over embarrassingly fast, but I have improved with age." Danny had moved past the shock of seeing Grace so grown up and was enjoying the memories.

They spent most of dinner sharing their stories about some of their early escapades. There were no more stories about their sexual experiences, but they still never lacked for conversation. Steve was surprised to see that their shared dessert was gone and the bill was on the table. Danny quickly grabbed it. "Hey, I asked you out. I get to be the guy tonight and pay the tab."

Steve shot Danny a quick grin and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Okay, you get to be on top tonight but hurry it up. I know how good you are, and you won't have to seduce me. I'm yours, Danno."

Danny flushed and pulled his wallet out in a hurry. He had enough cash to cover dinner and a nice tip. He handed his waiter everything with a quick "keep the change" and pulled Steve out of the restaurant. They were home in record time and undressed before they made it to the bedroom.

Steve was healthy again, so Danny didn't need to be careful with him. Earlier in the evening, they had exchanged stories about their first time with women. Danny wished that could have known Steve back then. He would settle for knowing Steve now. He imagined that Steve was only a shadow of the man he saw now. The man lying beneath him was pretty magnificent. Later that night, they slept in each other's arms. Whatever happened tomorrow, they would face together.


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Spoiler Alert! Post Season 2, Episode 17, "I Kapale", except that Steve isn't returning from duty with Catherine and Danny isn't dating Gabby.

Steve and Danny were enjoying a leisurely Sunday when the call came. It had been a good day so far. They had an inventive round of morning sex, and Steve went for a long swim before breakfast. Danny sent Rachel and Stan the pictures of Grace from the previous evening. Rachel called to report that Grace had a wonderful evening.

As it turned out, Steve's prediction about the coed dance was completely accurate. The boys finally joined the dancing, but there was no pairing off. Instead, it was mostly everyone on the dance floor doing their own thing. Steve was also correct about the addition to Grace's wardrobe. Grace was wearing a bra last night, and would probably be doing so most days. Danny had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach hearing the news.

The case was off to an unusual start. It wasn't often that they saw the victim dressed as a Hawaiian warrior. Come to think about it, it was mostly never. Max's comments about time travel would have been amusing had it not been for the dead body.

Steve was not pleased when he realized that they would be visiting Gabby. He knew that it was irrational, but he couldn't help it. Their first fight after Danny moved in was over Gabby and Danny's harmless flirting. When Danny took Gabby out for coffee, Steve was crazy jealous over it.

Gabby was surprised when Danny called and set up their meeting. She had been attracted to Danny when they first met, and even more surprised when he asked her out for coffee. It was their only date, if you could call it that. She later read that Danny and Steve were officially partners on a personal level. Gabby suspected that Danny was involved with someone else, but she wouldn't have guessed that it was Steve.

Gabby had mixed feelings seeing Danny again. It had been a few months since the last time she was called in as an advisor on a case. As Steve and Danny approached her, she looked for signs of their personal relationship. Other than the matching bands on their left hands, she still couldn't see it. Danny was still friendly and open as always, but she detected some thinly veiled hostility from Steve. It was somehow comforting to know that Steve was probably a little jealous about her one coffee date with Danny.

The case didn't lack for suspects. There was Seth Burgess, who stole a valuable artifact from their victim. Danny wasn't pleased when Steve took to the rooftop to gas their suspect out. When that didn't pan out, they went after environmentalist Kevin Creed. They would need to put the Camaro in for a little body work after Steve used it to nudge Creed into the water. For a change, Steve kept his shirt on and Danny dove in to fish Creed out.

At the end of the day, greed was the motive. Brandon Koruba was murdered by his partner after he decided not to pursue a lucrative project to build ferries to carry passengers between the islands. Steve shot Tony Dennison as he held a gun on Koruba's widow, Megan. It was their first case since Steve's agreement with the governor. He used Danny as a sounding board to see if he was deviating from police procedure far enough to warrant a phone call to Denning.

Steve didn't appreciate being in this situation, but he spent a lot of years answering to a superior officer. Danny thought that all in all, Steve followed the rules. Steve sent Denning a brief summary of the resolution since their final reports wouldn't be available until later on Monday. He received a text message back. "See no problem with your handling of case. Good job. Thanks for keeping me informed."

Steve and Danny picked Grace up from Emelina's after work on Monday. She gave the guys a full rundown on the party, even though Rachel already gave them the information. Danny was relieved to hear Grace describe some of the boys' goofy dancing, although she was careful not to tell any of them what she thought about their technique. She also told them that the boy who sat next to her didn't know which fork to use for salad and how she told him to just copy what she did.

Grace also reported that Charles was up most of Saturday night. As long as Rachel or Stan held him, he was fine. The minute he was back in his crib, he would scream loud enough to keep everyone up. Consequently, Sunday was a long day for everyone. Grace was the only person to get much sleep that night.

"You did the same thing when you were that young, Grace. Nana would come over a couple of nights a week to give your mom and me a break. I thought that someone came over to help on the weekend."

"Tina is helping her mother after hip surgery. Mom really likes her so she's waiting for her to come back. What's for supper?" Grace couldn't wait to get home and enjoy some quiet time in her room. Charles continued to be fussy on Sunday, and it was a relief to go to school this morning. Even a room full of fifth-graders didn't make as much noise as one fussy infant.

"We're having marinated chicken. Did you finish your homework?" Steve kept hoping for another science project, but no such luck. Grace only needed to study her spelling words, something she would do while Steve grilled the chicken.

Much later that night, Rachel called to talk to Danny. She was hoping to return to their previous shared custody with Grace spending a week at a time with each family, but Charles' periodic colic made it unlikely to happen soon. Life was still on the chaotic side at the Edwards' home, and Rachel knew that Grace needed a calmer environment.

Instead, she had a really big favor to ask of Danny and Steve. Stan came home excited about an invitation from his boss. Stan and Rachel were invited to go out sailing for the weekend. They would leave on Saturday morning and return on Sunday afternoon. Rachel was finally cleared for all activities, including those in the bedroom. Unfortunately, Charles wasn't cooperating with them. On the few nights that he stayed down long enough for Stan and Rachel to get together, Rachel was too tired to do anything but sleep.

Stan accepted the invitation before he remembered that their weekend nanny was unavailable. Rachel hoped that Leah would be able to help them; she would gladly manage without her for a couple of days during the week if Leah could come over on the weekend. Leah was fond of Charles and Grace, and ordinarily would be happy to help if she hadn't promised to help a friend move.

Rachel knew of only one other person that she would trust with Charles for an extended time: her ex-husband, Danny. She just wasn't sure that she had the nerve to ask. Stan offered to make the call, but Rachel knew that she would make the call. If Danny declined, then Stan would just have to ask his boss for a rain check.

Danny and Steve were packing lunches when Danny got the call. Danny was surprised to hear from Rachel, although his gut no longer clenched when he saw her name on the caller ID. "Rachel, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

Steve stopped chopping veggies; he still didn't completely trust Rachel and was always wary when she called. When Danny stopped and told Rachel he was switching to speaker mode, Steve liked it even less.

"Hello Steve. I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, but I'm calling to ask a favor. I'll understand if you say no, but please hear me out. I'm sure that you have an idea what it's been like here since Charles' birth. Stan and I have been invited to go sailing with his boss this weekend, and neither Leah nor Tina are available."

Steve knew where she was going and didn't like it one bit. "Gee, that's too bad, Rachel. I can check with Chin or Kono in the morning and see if they have anyone else in the family who can help."

"Steve, that might work for a shorter time, but I couldn't leave Charles for an overnight stay with a stranger. But Charles knows both of you, and Grace will be there. I know it's a huge favor, but would you be willing to take care of Charles for us? We would leave around noon on Saturday, and be back mid-afternoon on Sunday."

Steve was frantically shaking his head no, but Danny picked his phone up and walked into the living room. "Rachel, I'll have to get back to you on that. This is more than keeping the baby for a couple of hours while you and Stan go out on Valentine's Day. This is a whole weekend, and from what you and Grace tell me, the baby isn't sleeping well at night."

"That's true Danny. It's just that Stan and I haven't had much time to spend together. You remember what that was like."

"Yes, I remember quite well that is like. I'll call you back, but I'm sure it won't be tonight." Danny ended the call as quickly as he could. He was a little pissed off that Rachel would even ask them to do this. After all the times he had to practically beg to see Grace, Rachel has the nerve to ask him to take care of another man's baby. Danny took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew that Steve would be pissed off too.

"Danny, please tell me that you are not even considering this. I know we're trying to be supportive because of Grace, but this is unbelievable." Steve was furious at Rachel for even asking. He witnessed too many of Danny's battles with Rachel. He was all for family harmony, but it was just too much to ask.

"Steve, first you need to know that I'm pissed off too. I can't say that I'm surprised. Even though she didn't exactly get along with Mom too well, Rachel never hesitated to ask her to babysit or help out when she needed something. I loved Rachel but the world always had to revolve around her. She's not a bad person, just a little self-absorbed sometimes. I also remember what it's like to have a two-month old baby in the house. She's hoping for a good night's sleep and maybe a little sex with Stan."

"Wow, I didn't think you could ever be so objective about Rachel having sex with someone who wasn't you."

Danny walked back to Steve and pulled him down for a steamy kiss. "What can I say? I traded up."

Steve detected a little smirk on Danny's face. "And Rachel definitely traded down. So you're going to tell her no?"

"Actually, I was thinking about saying yes. Now hear me out before you go ballistic. You've asked me several times if I wanted another child. We've had Charles here for a couple of hours, and that went well. I think it would be helpful if we took him out for a longer test drive, so to speak."

Steve went back to chopping veggies, stalling for time. He didn't like it one bit, but he owed it to Danny to think about it. "I wouldn't mind helping out if it was an emergency. This is more like a booty call. And we could get called into work. What would we do then?"

"I'll talk to Emelina. In any case, I would make sure that I'm home to take care of the kids. We worked last Sunday. I'm entitled to a weekend. Just think about it for a day or two." Danny would go along with Steve's decision either way. He was comfortable with the idea of caring for Charles overnight, although he wasn't looking forward to a sleepless night. There were times when Danny was hit with a wave of longing for the baby he thought he would have. It didn't help when Steve asked him about it; if anything, it made him more conflicted. Danny was pretty sure that a night with Charles was just the reality check they needed.

When Steve came in from his swim on Wednesday morning, he told Danny to call and make the arrangements with Rachel if that's what he wanted. Danny wasn't really surprised at Steve's decision, but Rachel was. She told Stan that if they didn't hear from Danny today, it was safe to assume that the answer was no.

Danny knew they needed to get all their chores and errands out of the way before Saturday. He called in their helpers to clean the house and finish the yard work. He offered to pay for supper out on Thursday evening if they did their shopping before they went home. On Friday night, they were as prepared as they were going to be.

Before they went up to bed that night, Steve stopped Danny. "You know, you don't have to do everything yourself. You don't need to make it painless for me. I know that we're going to be busy, and that Charles will probably cry some and probably pee on one or both of us. Mom once told me that it was my favorite trick and that I got her at least once a day. That's the point, isn't it? And it's not like I haven't pulled an all-nighter because of the job. We do this together, okay?"

Danny looked a little sheepish. He should have known that Steve would realize Danny's little game plan for the weekend. "Okay. Does this mean that you don't want to have sex tonight because we won't have the opportunity tomorrow night?"

Steve flashed his sexy grin, the one that made Danny's heart beat a little faster. "Oh no, I always want you Danno." He led Danny upstairs and demonstrated just how much he wanted him. Tomorrow, they would do their own island version of two men and a baby. Steve watched the movie with Grace one rainy weekend and was rolling on the floor laughing during the early scenes with the baby. He recognized that the three hapless men fared much better than he would have, and he was a trained SEAL. At least Danny had some experience, because God knows how clueless he is. However it turned out, he made a vow that he wouldn't lose his cool. He made it through hell week; he would survive one night with a baby.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Danny was the first one awake on Saturday. He was pretty nervous about the weekend; he wasn't sure that Steve would be talking to him after a prolonged encounter with Hurricane Charles. He was sure the only reason that he slept last night was that he was very relaxed after sex with Steve.

Steve rolled over and threw an arm over Danny's chest. "We don't need to get up yet, do we? What time is Rachel dropping the baby off?" Steve was stringing kisses down Danny's jaw line and working his way further south.

"Not until around eleven o'clock. Why? Is it going to take you that long to get to what I hope is your destination?" Danny wasn't expecting this now; he was sure that Steve had enough last night to hold him for a while. It wasn't long before Danny has his answer. God, Steve was good at this. He would take Danny to the edge and then back off.

Steve finally positioned himself to claim Danny. "Are you ready for me, Danno?" Steve didn't wait for a reply. It was hard and fast, leaving them breathless. Steve rolled to his side, not relinquishing his hold on Danny. He wished that they could spend the day like this, close and in bed. Instead, he agreed to Danny's request to take care of a two-month old baby while his parents went sailing.

"Grace will be up soon. We'd better get presentable. What would you like for breakfast?" Danny knew enough to eat a good meal while he could.

"I could eat a waffle. We have berries in the fridge go to with them. There's sausage too. Objectively, how bad is this going to be?" Steve expected Charles to be fussy and up most of the night.

"It's hard to tell. Babies are unpredictable. It's part of their charm, and also what makes them so difficult. You can't count on them following a schedule because no one has figured out how to teach a baby to tell time. They can't tell you if they're hungry or in pain or just pissed off, so they cry to get your attention. It's up to you to interpret what the problem is."

"If it's that bad, then why do couples decide to have more than one?"

"Steve, you never thought about having children? You never wanted kids?" Danny never asked Steve before.

"Danny, before you, I thought that I would always be alone. I was so screwed up about my family that I didn't think anyone would want to be with me. Then I met you and Grace, and one day I knew that I needed you both. I don't feel compelled to pass my DNA on to the next generation, if that's what you're asking."

"Well I for one would love to see what a little McGarrett would be like."

"Danny, he or she would be a little hellion. Really, someday I'll tell you about some of my little adventures. Mom used to tell me that I was fearless as a kid."

Danny snorted; really, he couldn't help it. "As a kid? Steven, you are still fearless."

Steve turned to Danny, deadly serious now. "I'm not fearless anymore. When you couldn't breathe after you were exposed to Sarin, I was terrified. When Petersen kidnapped Grace and had a gun on you, I was terrified."

Danny stroked Steve cheek. "Me too. It's okay Steve. We're safe now."

They made it back to bed before shortly before Grace came in. Grace wasn't sure how she felt about Charles invading what she considered to be her home turf. She loved her brother, but he could be so demanding. At least she could always depend on getting some undivided attention from Danno and Daddy. Now, they would spend most of their weekend taking care of Charles.

Steve decided that since Grace spent more time with Charles than any of them, she would be a valuable resource. "Grace, I'm going to need your help. I know very little about Charles, and next to nothing about babies. You've been with him the most. Do you think that you can coach me a little?"

Grace knew what Steve was up to, but she couldn't think of a way to say no without being rude. "I guess. Are we going to stay home all day to take care of Charles?"

Danny had the answer to that question. "Actually, I was thinking that we might go out for a while. We'll have his car seat and stroller. Fresh air is good, and there's a festival down by the beach."

"Really, we can go there? I heard some of the kids at school talking about it. I think some of them are going." Grace perked up a little at the prospect of socializing with her friends.

"Of course we can. Now, how about we get some breakfast. I promised Steve here waffles and sausage." Danny had a game plan for the day, and it was time to get started. Steve had a lot of experience planning SEAL missions, but Danny had all the experience with babies. He decided the best way to get Charles to sleep tonight was to wear him out during the day.

Steve was out for his morning run and swim when Rachel and Stan arrived with Charles and what seemed like a truckload of equipment. There was the car seat, the stroller, the portable crib, a bag with extra clothes and diapers, formula, and some toys. Rachel had three pages of instructions and tips, small font and single-spaced.

"Rachel, take it easy. He's only two months old. If I screw something up, it's not like he'll even remember it." Danny was trying to shoo Rachel and Stan off.

"Danny, is Steve terribly upset with you for agreeing to this?"

"Rachel, the man is a Navy SEAL. He went through hell week. This will be easier. I sent him out for his daily exercise. He's much easier to deal with when he has a chance to work out. Now go on before you're late." Danny opened the front door and hoped that they would move along, which they did.

Steve came in just as Danny was making room for all the baby paraphernalia. Charles was on a blanket on the living room floor, playing with Grace. A baseball game was on TV; Steve's dish was picking up a Yankees exhibition game. The last few months had passed so quickly that spring training snuck up on Danny. In Hawaii, it was always summer.

"Do I have time for a shower? He seems quiet enough for now." Steve was just as happy that he missed Rachel. He was still more than a little pissed off at her for even asking them to do this, and he wasn't sure he could be nice about it.

"Since that takes you only three minutes, go for it. Can you carry the portable crib up with you? Just stick it in the guest room for now." Danny disappeared into the kitchen with some empty baby bottles and a canister of formula. He was still there when Steve came down a few minutes later; his hair was damp from the shower.

Steve sat cross-legged on the floor next to Grace. "Okay Grace, what do I need to know first?"

Danny had a bottle prepared for Charles' next feeding, which according to Rachel's schedule should be about now. He saw Steve and Grace with their heads together. Danny noticed that Grace was talking with her hands, and Steve was nodding at what she said. He carried the bottle into the living room and sat on the couch.

Steve looked up at Danny in question. "Time for lunch already? How do you know he's hungry?"

"I don't. According to the instructions Rachel left, it's about lunch time for Charles. Since he isn't fussing, it can wait." Danny sat back to enjoy the game, half listening to Grace's instructions.

"When you feed him, you have to burp him really good or he gets gas. Then he cries. And he likes to listen to your heartbeat when you hold him. Mommy says it's because he could hear it before he was born. When he gets really fussy, Mommy wraps him in a blanket because he's used to being in a tight space. Now pick him up and talk to him so he can get used to the sound of your voice."

Steve was listening intently, but his brain ceased to function properly the second it heard 'pick him up'. Then he saw Grace looking at him expectantly and realized that she was waiting for him to do something. "What? Can't I talk to him from here? We've already met, and I introduced myself then."

Danny stifled a laugh and couldn't wait to hear what came next. He thought that Steve would be tolerant of the baby but keep a safe distance. This was totally unexpected.

"Daddy, he's only a baby. He doesn't remember you. Now go ahead and pick him up like I told you."

"But he seems happy enough on the floor. He probably gets tired of people picking him up when he's just hanging around."

Grace grabbed Steve's chin and turned his face so he was looking at her. "Daddy, you asked me to help you. You need to pick him up now."

Steve knew when he was licked. He took a deep breath and positioned his hands the way that Grace told him. Steve lifted the baby up to his chest, and then lowered him so his head was near Steve's heart. "Hi Charles. I'm Steve. I'm one of Grace's dads. You already know Danno. He is Grace's number one dad. Danno and I are together, and Grace lives with us most of the time now."

Danny could see a startled look on the baby's face. He screwed his face up, and Danny waited for him to cry. Steve must have seen it too, because he lowered Charles back into a football hold. "Hey, don't do that. You and Grace are just hanging out with the guys this weekend. You're going to have some lunch soon, and then you're going to take a nap. When you wake up, we're going to a festival. There will be a lot of people there and a lot of things for you to see."

"Daddy, he likes you. See how the line on his diaper is blue. That means that he's wet." Grace reached over to the bag on the floor and pulled out a diaper and a changing pad. "Now put him on the pad. You have to be really fast when take the wet diaper off and put the new diaper on. Sometimes he pees before Mommy or Daddy Stan can cover him up. One night he peed all over their bed and they had to sleep in the guest room."

As Grace talked, Steve did as Grace said. He slid the clean diaper under Charles and pulled on the tabs of the wet diaper. He pulled it away quickly and covered Charles with the clean diaper. It took him several tries before he fastened the diaper evenly. Grace looked amused but Danny was impressed.

"Good job, Steven. Why don't you pass him up here while you get rid of the dirty diaper and wash your hands."

Steve was more than relieved to pass the baby to Danny. He really didn't expect to get so 'hands on' so soon this weekend. He planned on playing more of a supporting role. When he came back in the living room, he found that Danny had moved over to the middle of the couch.

"Sit here on the end. It will be easier to feed Charles if you can support your arm; otherwise, you're going to end up with a pain between your shoulders. Grace, you can talk him through it." After he handed the baby to Steve, Danny moved over so Grace could sit next to Steve. Danny was sure he would get an earful from Steve later, but he couldn't resist. He knew that Steve would do whatever Grace said for now.

Once he was sure that Steve had the bottle in the correct position, Danny got up to go to the kitchen.

"Danny, where are you going? You're not going to leave me here like this, are you?"

"I'm going to fix us some lunch. Grace can supervise you. I'm only going to be in the next room. Don't forget to burp him after he drinks two ounces. Call me if you need me." Danny eventually made it to the kitchen after he detoured into the study for their camera. He got some really good shots of Steve, Charles, and Grace. The look on Steve's face was priceless, kind of like he was holding a live grenade. Come to think of it, Steve was totally at ease with the grenade.

The next time Danny checked, Steve was trying to coax a burp out of Charles. "Come on kid, give it up. We're men here. Burping comes naturally to us. I know you want more to eat, but Grace says you have to burp first." Just as Steve was about to give up and call for Danny, Charles let out a loud burp. Danny could hear it from his vantage point near the kitchen. Steve's approach was unconventional, but it seemed to be working.

By the time lunch was ready, the bottle was empty and Charles was almost asleep. Danny pulled the throw off the back of the couch and put it on the floor. He carefully moved Charles from Steve's shoulder and put him down for a nap.

"Shouldn't we take him upstairs where it's quiet?" Steve was feeling a little wrung out from his experience. He had been double-teamed by Steve and Grace, and he made a note to make them pay for it later.

"No, he needs to get used to household noises. This way he can fall asleep anywhere. He'll be fine. We're just going to be in the kitchen. You were good with him."

"I was okay, but don't think that lets you and Grace off the hook. You both played me. Was that planned?"

"No, it was just a nice little bonus. It kind of offsets all the times that you terrified me with your driving or when you didn't wait for backup." Danny was beginning to relax for the first time in days. Steve had a different style with Charles, but the baby seemed to like it. Maybe the weekend wouldn't be a total disaster after all.


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Charles slept for a couple of hours and woke up hungry. Danny changed his diaper and fed him this time, not wanting to push his luck with Steve. It took almost 30 minutes to pack up everything for their outing. Rachel had a travel bag mostly packed except for formula. It took Steve a while to figure out how to anchor the car seat in the Camaro. Grace was really anxious to go and kept asking when they would actually leave the house.

It took almost as long to unload the car once they reached their destination. At least Grace knew how to lock the car seat into the stroller, or the guys would still be in the parking lot. As they strolled around the festival, another problem became apparent. The guys were so cute pushing Charles around with Grace in tow, and both men were attracting their share of female attention.

"I have to say that I don't understand it. We're obviously a family here. We're wearing wedding rings. Why do these women continue to eye-hump you?" Danny was talking with his hands, which was why Steve was pushing the stroller.

"Danny, I have no idea. I'm not interested in them. I never notice them until you say something. Some of them are looking at you. And is this something you want to talk about in front of Grace?" Even before Danny, Steve never paid much attention to the adoring females. He was usually too focused on catching the bad guys or risk assessment.

"No, probably not. Grace, wait up. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Danno, I see some of my friends from school. Can I go over and say hi?" Grace barely slowed down, forcing Danny to go ahead of Steve and the baby.

Steve was trapped behind a large group of teenagers. "Danny, catch up with Grace. I'll be there as soon as I can get around this mob." Steve saw Danny steer Grace over to the side of the path; he could almost hear the lecture on straying too far from them. Her kidnapping was still too fresh in everyone's mind.

The group in front of Steve was going nowhere for now, and oncoming traffic prevented him from going around them. Steve's cell phone signaled an incoming text message; it was from Danny, indicating that he was taking Grace over to her friends. Steve could see them and waved. He sent a message saying that he would be there as soon as the crowd permitted.

Steve looked down to see how Charles was doing. He was a little disconcerted to see that the baby was studying his every move. "Well, we're stuck here for the time being. Danno's with Grace, so take it easy on me, okay? You're not wet or anything, are you?" Steve leaned over to check the status of the wetness strip.

"It's green. That means you're still dry. There's quite a crowd here today. I can't say that I'm surprised. These things are usually crazy on a Saturday evening. You probably don't know what Saturday means, do you? Every day is Saturday to you. You don't have to worry about getting up to go to school or work. Enjoy it while you can. You've probably figured out by now that I don't have a clue what I'm doing. Danno says that I'm not good with people. He thinks he's kidding, but he's right. I've gotten a lot better at it since I met Danno, but I'll never be as good at it as he is. There's one thing I can promise you. I'll protect you with my life."

Steve was proceeding slowly and looked around to make sure that no danger was present. All he could see was a lot of people having a good time. He turned his attention back to the baby. "You know, you're awfully young to be a 'Charles'. You look more like a 'Charlie'. Charles is the kind of kid who's head of the chess club and gets stuffed in his locker. Charlie might play baseball or football and gets the girl. You're going to need Danno and me to teach you that stuff. Your mom and dad are nice enough, but they're kind of dull and unimaginative. When you get older, we need to talk about science projects. I just need to remember to back Danno's car out of the driveway first."

It was twenty minutes before Steve and Charlie made it to the area where Grace was hanging out with her friends. Danny was sitting on a bench nearby, keeping an eye on their daughter. He expected to see a very irate Steve because he was left behind with the baby. He was surprised to see Steve deep in conversation with someone. Danny checked the area for a familiar face and saw no one that he knew.

"So Charlie, always remember to sit in the back of the room in the corner so you can see who's coming in and no one can sneak up on you. And don't walk around with your ear buds in; sometimes you can hear someone before you can see him. Hey, here's Danno. We're here safe and sound, aren't we buddy?" Steve maneuvered the stroller so that the baby was facing them before unlatching the straps so he could pull Charlie out.

Steve positioned the baby on his lap so that he could point out things in the area. "See, there's Grace talking to her friend, Bradley. He just turned ten years old, and Grace went to the party. She was really pretty all dressed up. That kid over there is Tommy. Danno thinks he's a pathological liar. I'm not so sure; I think he just likes to stir up trouble. Either way, kids like that are trouble because you can't trust them."

Danny was having a lot of trouble keeping an eye on Grace while watching Steve with Charlie. When did the baby become Charlie? He was sure that Rachel would have a fit when she heard it, and she most certainly would. It seemed that Steve and the baby had bonded, and now Steve was giving Charlie the same spiel that Danny heard constantly and mostly ignored. He ran his hand over his face, not sure whether to laugh or cry. This was not what he had expected this weekend.

It was getting worse quickly. Now that they were in one spot, the circling females were coming in for a landing. "Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams, I'm Sherry Purdue. My son, Mason, is in Grace's class. I've seen you when you drop Grace off in the morning. It's so nice to have this opportunity to chat. And what a darling baby! Did you adopt?"

Before Danny could answer, Steve spoke up. "No, Charlie is just hanging out with us for a while. We have to take him home by midnight or he'll turn back into a pumpkin. Ow!" The last was added when Danny elbowed Steve in the ribs.

"We're watching him as a favor this weekend. It looks like the kids are settling down; I think the show is starting?" The kids who had been milling around a large grassy area in front of the stage were now facing the stage, waiting for the show to start. A local teen band soon started playing; they were a favorite attraction with the kids.

Steve wasn't sure what the kids saw in these guys, but he was sure that the loud music wasn't good for Charlie. "Danny, Charlie doesn't like the loud music. The band is scheduled to play for at least 30 minutes. I'm going to walk over towards the local exhibits. Why don't you meet me when this is over by the food tents?

Danny was surprised when Steve pulled a clean diaper, a flannel blanket, and a bottle of formula out of the bag before walking off. "Hey, aren't you going to take the stroller?"

"No, it's too hard to navigate in this crowd, and Charlie can't hear me all the way down there." Steve positioned the blanket on his shoulder so the baby would have a soft surface to rest against. Steve kept up his conversation with Charles as they walked; he drew a lot of admiring glances as he went. Eventually, Charles grew fussy. This time, the wetness indicator was blue.

"When you get a little older, we'll talk about exercising a little self control. Now where can I change you? We need a little privacy, don't we? No need for everyone to see your goods." Steve saw that there was no one behind the canopies where the local vendors were set up. As he knelt on the ground, he realized the ground was a little damp.

"Now listen Charlie, I'm going to take my shirt off so we don't have to do this on the wet grass. Do me a favor, buddy, and don't pee on it." Steve managed to pull his t-shirt off and spread it out before putting Charlie down. He executed a perfect diaper change this time, pulling the wet diaper out and fastening the new one. This time, he gauged the tabs correctly. He folded the old diaper into a neat package the way he saw Grace do it earlier. He found the small bottle of hand sanitizer in his pants pocket and cleaned his hands. Then he realized that he couldn't put on his shirt until he picked Charlie up. With Charlie in his arms, he couldn't pull his shirt on.

"Hey buddy, you should have warned me about this. We're supposed to be watching out for each other." Steve thought for a moment before sitting on the grass cross-legged. Now he had a cradle to lay Charlie on while he donned his shirt. It was a little awkward getting to a standing position with Charlie in his arms, but Steve managed it. Steve found a trash can to dispose of the dirty diaper and found an empty table in the shade near the food tents.

The sun ducked behind a cloud, and the cool breeze off the ocean made the air a little chilly. Charlie was dressed in only a onesie and booties. Steve was comfortable, but he worried that Charlie would get cold. As he positioned Charlie to feed, he wrapped the light flannel blanket around the baby.

That was how Danny and Grace found him. The bottle was almost empty; the fresh air gave Charlie quite an appetite. "Charlie, don't go to sleep on me buddy. It's too early. Danno and Grace are here, and the big kids are going to eat. I need one more burp from you. You've done a really good job so far. I think they heard that last one on the big island."

As he thumped on Charlie's back, Steve smiled up at Danny and Grace. "Are you guys ready to eat? I'm starved! I've been watching people walk by with all kinds of food, and I know what I want. How was the show Grace?" When Charlie burped, Steve turned his head to give Charlie a kiss on his cheek. "Good job, buddy. Do you want to go back in your stroller now?" Steve expertly shifted the baby into his seat and latched the straps. Then he lightly draped the blanket over Charlie to block the breeze.

Danny sat next to Steve, utterly charmed. "Who are you, and what did you do with my slightly goofy partner who knows nothing about taking care of babies? And when did the baby become Charlie? I'm pretty sure that Rachel won't like it."

"Well, we don't want him to get beat up when he gets older, now do we? Charlie and I are getting along just fine, aren't we buddy?" Steve smoothed his hair down, and his finger lingered on Charlie's cheek.

"I'll admit that it suits him. Why don't you take Grace and get your food? I'll stay here with Charlie so we don't have to maneuver the stroller through all these tables." Danny watched Steve and Grace go off in search of food and turned his attention back to the baby. Charlie was chewing on his fist and kicking his legs contentedly.

"And you, you've gone over to the dark side with super-SEAL. Your mom and dad are going to kill me. I don't know what he's been telling you, but it is never permissible to throw a suspect in a shark tank or dangle him off a tall building. And there will be no playing catch with a live grenade." Danny rested his chin in his hand while he contemplated what kind of damage Steve could have done to the baby in just a few hours.

Steve and Grace returned in a few minutes, each carrying a tray of food. "Danno, they've got some amazing food in there. Some of it doesn't have pineapple or spam. You can go on; we've got Charlie."

Danny was reluctant to leave, but his stomach was growling. By the time he returned, Grace was calling her brother Charlie too. She was telling the baby about the show and how some of the girls in her class had a crush on the drummer. "I don't think he's that cute, but my friend Jenny likes his tattoos. I don't think his tattoos are nearly as neat as Daddy's."

Danny's day was just getting worse. He did not want to hear his little girl talk about a boy's tattoos or how she thought Steve's were 'neat'. He was afraid that Grace would want her own neat tattoo for her next birthday. Danny sat down next to Grace, but Steve insisted on keeping the stroller near him.

They stayed at the festival until dusk. The horizon was beautiful with the rosy glow of the sunset. Grace wanted to stay a little longer, but Steve was worried that the night air was too cool for Charlie. It took less time to pack up and head home. Once there, Grace went upstairs to take her shower while the guys took care of Charlie.

They bathed Charlie in the kitchen in a large plastic tub. Danny did most of the work while Steve supported the baby's head. Charlie enjoyed the warm water, and Steve demonstrated the proper splash technique. A few minutes later, Danny came back into the kitchen. "Do want to get Charlie dried off and dressed? I put the portable crib up in the guest room. That way he won't disturb you."

Danny watched Steve give one more splash before he laid the baby on the thick towel on the counter. Steve dried him gently, talking the entire time. "That was fun, wasn't it Charlie? When you get a little older, I'll teach you how to swim. Grace already swims like a fish. You'll be the same way. You've had a busy day. I know that you're probably missing your mommy by now, but Danno, Grace, and I are going to take good care of you. Mommy and Daddy will be back tomorrow afternoon. Danno's going to feed you, and you can go to bed. If you need us, you just need to call us. We'll be right there."

Steve kissed Charlie on the forehead before handing him over to Danny. "I'm going to get my shower. I think the crib should be in our room. That way he won't be afraid if he wakes up. I'll move it when I go up, and I'll turn the lights down. You can take him up when he's ready."

Steve moved the crib and rummaged in the closet until he found what he was looking for. He set one of the walkie-talkies on the nightstand near the crib and locked it in the 'ON' position. That way they could hear Charlie from the living room. He lingered in the shower as he reviewed the day. For the first time, he could understand Danny's attraction to babies. They are pretty amazing. Before today, he told himself that he would accept adding a baby to their family if it would make Danny happy. Now, Steve knew that he had it in him to want a baby too.


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve and Danny had an extra long reading session with Grace before she went to bed. They didn't want her to feel neglected because Charlie was spending most of the weekend with them. When Grace finished the last chapter, she looked up at Danno. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Monkey. What do you want to know?"

"Are you and Daddy going to have a baby?" Grace wasn't stupid, and she could see that both of her dads enjoyed their time with Charlie. She wasn't sure that she wanted to hear the answer. Charlie disrupted her life in so many ways, but she could always depend on Danno and Daddy being there for her every single time that she needed them. A baby would wreck that.

Danny was speechless. He had no idea which issue to address first. Maybe he should start with biology. "Grace, you do realize that neither of us is physically able to have a baby."

"I know that Danno. You know what I mean."

"Yes, we know. Daddy and I have talked about it, but we haven't come to a conclusion. It would be really hard for us to raise a baby with our schedule. And mostly we worry about how you would feel about it. You've had a really tough time the last few months. I think that sometimes you feel like you're not as important to your mom and Stan as you were before. That's not true, you know. People don't have only so much love to give, and one kid gets less because there's another kid. The love you have to give just keeps growing. I don't love you any less because I love Daddy so much." Danny really wanted to get this right. He didn't want to close the door on another child because Grace was against it. The final decision should be between Steve and him.

"Grace, Danno is right. I love you so much, but since you and Danno moved in and we share our lives, I think that maybe I have more love to give. If I give too much to you, it could smother you. You wouldn't be free to live your life. You're getting older, and you're going to want more independence as time goes on. That's going to leave a big hole. We don't know what we want to do yet, but I promise that you'll know when we know."

Danny and Steve hugged Grace. They wanted to reassure her, but she needed to understand that it was their decision, not hers. After tucking Grace in and checking on Charlie, they grabbed a beer and went out on the lanai. Steve set the walkie-talkie on a nearby table. They sat for a while in silence, lost in thoughts of the day.

Danny wanted to ask Steve about his time with Charlie, but he wasn't sure where to start. "What exactly happened today? One minute, Grace had to practically order you to pick Charlie up. The next thing I know, the two of you are bosom buddies hanging out together." Okay, that didn't come out the way that he wanted.

Fortunately, Steve knew exactly what Danny meant. Steve sighed; he didn't know where to start either. He took Danny's hand and made an attempt. "I'm not sure that I can explain. All this time, he's been 'the baby' or 'Charles'. You were hurt when Rachel told you he wasn't your baby. It hurt you again to be there when he was born. And Grace was hurt too. Somehow it was his fault. Sometime during the day, he became Charlie, and I guess I felt the same pull that you feel. And I think that if we decide that we want a baby, we'll figure out how to make it work because it's too important to let it go. For now, I want to focus on you and Grace. We haven't been together that long, and I want time the way we are now before we think about bringing in another child."

"I can live with that. You surprised me, and I didn't think you could surprise me anymore. You were a natural with Charlie, and now you've got Grace and me calling him Charlie. Rachel will have a fit; she was very precise about his name."

Steve flashed Danny a grin that made him go weak at the knees. "Yeah, well life's a bitch. Her house, her rules. Our house, our rules. I still think that she had a lot of nerve asking us to take care of him this weekend so she could go yachting with Stan and his boss. Charlie's going to need us to teach him about the regular stuff in life. I don't think that Stan knows how to pitch a baseball or throw a football."

"You are truly evil, and I love you for it. So, you enjoyed spending time with Charlie?"

"Yeah, I did. I know I can't compare taking care of a baby for a few hours to having a baby of our own. And how would we even do that? But I understand now why you get that look on your face when you think about it. I still don't care if the baby has my DNA, or even yours."

"Okay, how about we table the motion until after our first anniversary. We can revisit it then. Until then, we'll stay a family of three. Ordinarily, this would be the time that we go upstairs and have crazy sex. We can't do that because we have a baby in our room."

Steve got a hopeful look on his face. "Danny, it's dark out here. I don't think we've had sex in the back yard yet."

"Steven, you know damn good and well that we haven't had sex in the back yard, and we're not going to."

"Why not, Danno? No one is around. I've got a blanket we could use. Or we could use the guest room. Of course, one of my personal favorites is shower sex." Steve was willing to wait until Charlie went home, but he always wanted Danny.

"Steven, I'm not sure how long Charlie will sleep. I have this image of us going at it in the shower unaware that Charlie is screaming his head off. The next thing we know, Grace catches us in the act. One Sunday afternoon when Grace was around four years old, Rachel and I holed up in the bedroom while she napped. Just as we were getting to the good part, Grace is banging on the bedroom door and screaming 'What are you doing in there?' Honestly, it was days before I could even get it up after that."

Steve couldn't help laughing at the image. "And we're talking about adding a child to our family why?"

"Babe, you were really good with Charlie today. From what Rachel and Grace have told me, he doesn't usually settle down like this. You're some kind of baby whisperer."

"Danno, please promise me that you won't repeat that to anyone."

"Your secret is safe with me. Do you want to go in? There's a 'Dragnet' marathon on tonight."

"Sounds good to me." Steve and Danny spent a couple of hours watching TV and necking on the couch. It was oddly reminiscent of Danny's high school years, only Steve was a way better kisser than any of his old girlfriends. They went to bed shortly after midnight. Steve asked Danny if they were going to church in the morning, but Danny thought that might not be such a good idea. He really didn't care to explain that he was babysitting for his ex-wife's baby with her new husband. Besides, they weren't sure how much sleep they would get with Charlie in the house.

It was almost 3 a.m. when Charlie woke Steve. He wasn't crying exactly; he was making baby noises and moving around enough to alert Steve that it was probably feeding time. He turned his nightstand light on and mixed a bottle of formula. "Hey Charlie, you've had a nice rest. I'll bet you're wet and hungry. Give me a minute and I'll have you nice and dry."

Danny woke up when Steve turned the light on. He was willing to get up with Charlie, but Steve beat him to the punch. Besides, watching Steve take care of Charlie touched Danny beyond description. Steve deftly pulled Charlie's legs out of the sleeper. It was a challenge because his little legs were kicking up a storm.

"Wow, are you happy to see me? Don't tell anyone, but I'm really happy that you're here. You're always welcome here, you know. Things can get a little out of hand at your house, but you'll always have a place here. I'll teach you how to swim and Kono can teach you how to surf. Danny can teach you how to talk with your hands." Steve had the dry diaper on and the sleeper snapped up.

"You don't need to go downstairs. You can feed him here." Danny choked a little on the words. He knew it would probably be a mistake, but he wanted Steve and Charlie here. He wanted to be part of the relationship Steve seemed to have formed with Charlie today.

Steve picked Charlie up and brought him to their bed. He propped his pillow against the headboard and sat cross-legged against it. Charlie was hungry and eagerly took the bottle. Danny turned on his side and watched the pair. He grabbed one of Charlie's feet, amazed at how small it was in his hand. When two ounces were gone, Steve looked at Danny.

"Do you want to burp him? I need to hit the head. Maybe you can feed him for a while." When Danny sat up, Steve passed him the baby. He went into the bathroom, not out of need but because it was his excuse to give the baby to Danny. He knew that Danny was itching to get his hands on the baby.

"Hey Charlie. You've been a really good boy tonight. You let the old guys here sleep for a while, and you didn't wake Grace up. I'm afraid that we're going to miss you when you go home tomorrow. I don't know if the SEAL and I are going to decide to add to our family, but you've given us a lot to think about. I used to think that I wanted another baby with your mom. That's not the case anymore. I want a baby with Steve. I must be crazy."

"No crazier that I am for wanting a baby with you." Steve made a stealthy entrance from the bathroom. He was grinning at hearing Danny's words.

"Just remember, I'm not the woman here. You aren't either, so how do we get a baby?"

"What, you didn't pay attention during health class?"

"Steven, you know what I mean."

Steve sat next to Danny and watched as Charlie's eyes started to droop. "I think he'll go back to sleep when he finishes the bottle. I don't know, Danny. I think we made the right decision earlier tonight. This has been pretty easy today. You made sure all the chores were done before he got here, and we don't have to worry about juggling him and work. Let's give it some time. I'm sure we can borrow Charlie whenever we need a baby fix."

Steve put his arm around Danny and stroked Charlie's cheek as Danny tried to coax one last burp. "Come on Charlie, burp for Danno. Then we can all go back to bed. You can play outside for a while tomorrow while I get my morning swim in."

Charlie finally burped for Danny. "If Rachel finds out how good you are with Charlie, we could find that we have another kid living here. Seriously, I don't think he's ever been so cooperative at home. Why don't you take him and tuck him in? Danny kissed Charlie's forehead before handing him off to Steve.

"Good night Charlie. Danny and I will be right here if you need us." Steve kissed the baby and placed him in the portable crib. He lightly covered him with a flannel blanket before returning to his own bed. Steve turned the light off and pulled Danny close.

"Thanks Danno. Whether we add to our family or not, it's to have a glimpse of what it's like to have a baby in our lives." Steve kissed Danny, a very soft sweet kiss. That was all he wanted for now. He had a lot to think about, but it was time for sleep now. It had been a very full day, and tomorrow they would get to do it again.


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve woke up just as the sun was coming up. He was surprised that Charlie let them sleep so late. Danny was sprawled on his back, taking up a large part of the bed. Steve could hear Charlie moving around again; maybe that's what woke him up.

Steve decided to take Charlie downstairs for his feeding so Danny could sleep for a little longer. And maybe Steve wanted a little quiet time alone with Charlie before Grace and Danny woke up. By the time that they finished with breakfast and cleaned the kitchen up, Rachel and Stan would be stopping by to pick Charlie up. Steve quickly fixed the bottle of formula and snagged a clean diaper before carrying Charlie downstairs.

It was cool this morning, so Steve opted to keep Charlie in his sleeper for now. Charlie was refreshed from his restful night, and Steve had a difficult time getting both legs back in the sleeper. He could swear that Charlie was enjoying his predicament. Finally Steve got Charlie all tucked in and snapped up.

"Well, you certainly made me work for that. Are you ready to eat? Your mommy and daddy are coming back today. Tonight you'll sleep in your own crib, or maybe you won't sleep tonight. From what I hear, you've gone easy on us. Will you miss us? We'll miss you. I'll miss you. I never thought I'd enjoy being around a baby, but you're pretty cool."

Steve sat in his dad's old chair and fed Charlie his morning bottle. He continued his monologue with the baby, talking about all the good times they would have as Charlie got older. The bottle was empty and Steve was trying to coax one last burp out of the baby when Danny came downstairs.

"Hogging the baby again?"

Danny was wiping the sleep out of his eyes and his hair was sticking up in a dozen different directions. Steve wanted to take him back to bed, but Charlie was up for the morning. "No Danny, I thought that I would let you sleep in. Charlie and I are having a little chat about what to have for breakfast. He wants French toast and bacon, but I think he's a little young for solid food. When will he get teeth?"

"That depends. Grace got her first tooth at around five months. My niece and nephews were over six months old. Even then, it's a while before babies can eat regular food. They start out on cereal or fruit, depending on what the doctor recommends. Jackie started her kids on vegetables. It was disgusting. There's nothing you can do to make mashed peas palatable." Danny made a face when he remembered how it smelled.

"It can't be any worse than this formula. How can he even drink this stuff? It smells bad. I thought that Rachel was going to breastfeed Charlie."

"That didn't work out too well. She had trouble with Grace too. She's a little high-strung, and stress makes it difficult to breastfeed. It can be exhausting, particularly when the baby doesn't cooperate. Speaking of which, did this little fellow really let us sleep last night?"

"Yeah, he just woke up once when he got hungry. I guess we wore him out. Look how much better Grace does here. Hey, Charlie still needs to burp. Do you want to take him and I'll start breakfast?" Steve stood up and motioned for Danny to take his seat.

"Okay, I'll bail you out. Do you want to let Grace sleep in?"

"Yeah, it will take a while to fry the bacon. I'll bring you a cup of coffee when it's ready." Steve gave Charlie a little hug before giving him to Danny. He wished that Danny had waited a little longer before coming downstairs. He wasn't quite ready to give the baby up, but he knew that Danny wanted time with Charlie too.

Danny leaned back in the comfortable chair and cuddled with Charlie. "Okay kid, you heard your Uncle Steve. You need to burp for me. What's your mommy going to say when she finds out how good you've been for us? I expected to sit up with you most of the night. I expected that Steve wouldn't even be talking to me this morning. You're a real little charmer, aren't you? And there's the burp I've been waiting for." Oh yeah, the smell of baby formula definitely hadn't improved in ten years.

Danny could smell coffee and bacon; he hoped Steve would bring a cup in soon. Danny woke up this morning to find Steve's side of the bed cool and the portable crib empty. It didn't take a detective to deduce where Steve was. He missed his morning cuddle with Steve, and he missed their usual Saturday night sex. Steve spoiled him when it came to sex. Steve was always willing and very skilled. A baby would put a serious crimp on their sex life. He remembered that from when Grace was a baby.

Danny wasn't willing to give up what he had with Steve yet. They were getting along so well, which was surprising when he remembered their first day together. There had been few arguments, and they settled their differences quickly. The makeup sex had been amazing. A baby would change everything, and Danny was still ambivalent on the subject. He was really drawn to Charlie, but the baby would be mobile soon enough. Steve had no idea how every stage of a baby's development brought new problems.

There were rewards with raising a baby, to be sure. He just wasn't sure that he was up to it. At least they mutually decided to table the subject until the end of the year. By then, Charlie would be almost a year old and probably walking. They would need to child-proof the house if Charlie became a regular visitor. Danny suspected that they would be seeing Charlie regularly. Just as Steve predicted, the McGarrett-Williams and the Edwards were part of an extended family.

Steve brought Danny his cup of coffee. "Did he burp for you?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago. He's not going to be like this for long, you know. Pretty soon he'll be getting into everything."

"We'll have to watch him like a hawk, especially when he learns how to open doors. The beach is both an attraction and a danger to a child. Then there's the stairs."

"Did you always live here?"

"No, I was six years old when we moved in. Mom and Dad wouldn't let me in the yard without supervision until I was older. I remember that Mary got past me when I was going outside, and Mom barely caught up with her before she went into the water. I expected that Mom would be mad, but she understood how fast Mary was. I was really scared too."

"Yeah, this might be a tough place to raise a baby, but we would manage. It's a lot of work no matter what the circumstances. You'd better get back in the kitchen before the bacon burns. Charlie and I are going to wake Grace up." Danny was surprised that Grace was still asleep. Usually the aroma of frying bacon was enough to lure her downstairs.

Grace was just starting to stir when Danny peeked around her bedroom door. He went in and sat on the side of the bed. "Hey Monkey, breakfast is almost ready. Do you want to get up soon? We're having bacon and French toast for breakfast."

Grace was already awake; the smell of frying bacon wafted through most of the house. She was trying to remember if she had heard Charlie last night. He often woke her when she stayed with her mother and Stan. "Morning, Danno. Did Charlie keep you up last night?"

Danny laughed at Grace's question. "Charlie, you have such a bad rep for being so young. No, he woke up around 3 a.m. and went back to sleep after we fed him."

"Mommy will be really surprised when she hears that, won't she?"

"Yeah, I think so. From what you tell us and how tired your mom is, I didn't expect anyone to sleep much. Are you hungry? Charlie's already had his morning feeding, and the bacon was almost finished when I came up."

"I'm starving. I'll be downstairs in a few minutes."

Danny went down to help Steve in the kitchen. He put Charlie in his car seat and set it the table where he could watch them work. Grace joined them in a few minutes just as Steve took the first batch of French toast of the griddle. Soon, they all sat down to eat together.

The rest of the morning was spent cleaning up the kitchen and rounding up all of Charlie's gear. Steve was amazed at how much stuff it took to support a baby. When enough time had passed since breakfast, Steve went out for his morning exercise. As usual, the routine helped clear his mind.

Steve was so conflicted by his feelings for Charlie. He loved his life with Danny and Grace just the way it was, but he had to admit that there might be room for more. Steve thought about how he would feel to have a little person who shared his DNA, a baby with dark curly hair and hazel eyes. He thought about a baby with blond hair and blue eyes, a miniature image of Danny. Lord, they would be in such trouble. Steve remembered his childhood and recognized that some of his behavior indicated at least a little ADHD, maybe with OCD mixed in for good measure. Damn, he managed his tendencies a little better as an adult, but he still had to fight the urge to fidget or obsess on bad days.

Steve did some research on surrogacy laws in Hawaii after Charlie was born because he suspected that Danny might want another child despite his protestations otherwise. They would need to decide who would be the sperm donor. The more Steve thought about it, the more he thought that he would like to have a child with his DNA. He didn't think Danny would mind as long as they got a baby out of it.

Steve's muscles were burning from exertion by the time he finished his run and swim, but he was still undecided about what they should do. One thing he learned from experience was when in doubt, do nothing. Steve wanted to watch Charlie move from his current stage where mostly all he did was eat, sleep, dirty his diapers, and protest when things weren't going his way.

Danny was watching SportsCenter and Grace was playing with Charlie on the living room floor when Steve came in from the beach. He quickly showered and joined them downstairs, anxious to spend a little more time with Charlie. Then he had a wonderful idea. "Danny, why don't you call Rachel and tell her we can drop Charlie off later this afternoon. We can get some lunch at Kamekona's shrimp truck and go to the marketplace. I hear they got a new shipment of seasonal fruit in yesterday."

Grace looked at Danny, hoping that he would agree. She kind of liked the family dynamic with Charlie there, much to her surprise.

"Okay, but you realize how much equipment there is to transport."

"Danno, we can take the Marquis. I could fit half of this house in the trunk. Should we feed Charlie first?" Steve wanted another turn at feeding the baby. He liked the way that Charlie fit in the crook of his arm and the way that Charlie looked at him with such trust.

"That's probably a good idea. Let me call Rachel while you get his bottle ready." Danny pushed Rachel's speed dial number on his cell phone and was surprised when she answered. He quickly explained that they would be going out soon and could drop the baby off on their way home. Rachel was having a wonderful time and quickly agreed to extend their time by a couple of hours.

It was late afternoon by the time that Steve drove the Marquis up to the Edwards' home. Rachel and Stan met them at the door. Both looked a little sunburned and more rested than Steve had seen them for a while.

"Steve, Danny, we can't thank you enough. We'll apologize now for the sleepless night, although you seem to handle it better than we have." Rachel enjoyed their time away, but she really missed Charles. She took him from Danny and hugged him tightly, enjoying his baby smell.

"Um, you're not going to believe this, but Charlie went to bed like a champ and only woke up once to eat. He was really good for us Rachel." Danny felt the tiniest bit of satisfaction that Charlie did so well with them. He knew it was mean, but for so many years Rachel made him feel like a failure as a husband and a father. Now Steve made him feel like he was husband of the year, and Grace was thriving with them.

"Danny, his name is Charles. You're telling me that he didn't keep you up most of the night."

Steve looked a little sheepish, but he wouldn't back down. "I guess that's my fault, Rachel. He just seems more like a Charlie to me. Danny and Grace started calling him Charlie after I called him that. I think he likes it. He went right to bed after his bath and bottle, and when we fed him at 3 a.m., he went right back to sleep until about 8 a.m. We were prepared for the worst, but he wasn't any problem at all, were you buddy." Steve stepped over to Rachel and was smoothing Charlie's hair down.

Rachel didn't want to press the issue with Steve. After all, she did get some pretty good sex and a good night's sleep out of it. And maybe Charles would sleep well for her tonight. Grace agreed to spend the next couple of days with her mom and Stan, and Steve and Danny left a few minutes later after unloading all the baby equipment.

"Well, Rachel was a little twisted about us giving Charlie a nickname." Steve couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

"I told you that she would. Ten bucks says she's up most of the night with a crying baby. Can I take you out to dinner after we unload the stuff we bought at the market? I should warn you that I expect you to put out tonight. I enjoyed our time with Charlie, but he really cramped out time together."

"Danno, I'd love to go out to dinner with you, and I have ideas of my own about tonight. It will only be the two of us in the house, so we can be as loud as we want. I want the neighbors to hear you when you come."

"I don't suppose you'd consider eating in tonight and I'll owe you dinner. After a comment like that, I'm not so hungry anymore."

"We've still got some lasagna in the freezer. It will take an hour to bake. You can take me to dinner tomorrow night."

"It's a deal."

_This is the end of the current story. The next story, "Fast Forward", will be an AU. We'll be visiting the McGarrett-Williams family at various times in the future. Thanks for following along._


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